The Fiery Guardian
by PearlBloom
Summary: Seto Kaiba was drowning in endless work and DESPERATELY needed help. He hires Misty Robinson, a fiery beauty with a frightful, divine power. After some time, love blooms, but a demon constantly threatens their bliss and keeps trying to take Misty away.
1. Interview

~Misty's POV~

I woke up at 6 a.m. to the sound of my loud alarm clock blasting. "Okay, I'm up!" I yelled at my alarm clock and shut it off with a groan. I slowly climbed out of my bed and head to my bathroom to get showered, walking like a zombie. I had an interview for a job today at Kaiba Corp. as an assistant to a Mr. Kaiba and I had to look good. I turned the water on and let the water cleanse the night off my body and wake me up.

"I wonder what this Mr. Kaiba is like," I wondered. "I hope I get this job! I need the money bad! Damn college tuition and damn books! Why the hell do they have to cost so much!" I cursed.

I climbed out of the shower and went to my room to get dressed in my "lucky" interview outfit- a turquoise, empire-waist, split-sleeve top with a flowy hem, a black pinstripe blazer, a black pinstripe trouser, and my blue shoes. To accessorize, I wore my brother's blue and white dragon pendant, my watch, my James Avery charm bracelet, and some dangling blue cat-eye earrings. The dragon was a lucky charm my younger brother, Wes, had given me.

After breakfast, I went to style my hair and pulled my long, chocolate hair back into a half-pony and twisted the half-pony into a bun while the rest of my hair cascaded in soft waves to my shoulders. I brushed my teeth, applied my makeup and spritzed on a sweet perfume to boost my confidence. I smiled proudly at my reflection in the mirror- I looked great and felt confident, and I had a STRONG "feeling" I would get this job. I grabbed my folder with my resume, a book, and dashed down to barely catch my bus. I sat down with a relieved sigh. I hated being late with a vengeance and if I had missed the bus I would've been pissed. I dove right into my book and lost myself in it.

"Approaching Kaiba Corp," The mechanical voice announced. I put my book in my purse, next to my Wingweaver card- another lucky charm from my brother. I pulled the cord and got off right in front of the huge building. It was impressive against the blue sky dotted with silver clouds.

"Here we go!" I said aloud to get myself focused. I walked through the doors with my head held high, and my gait confident and friendly- the infamous Texan walk. I had to look confident and willing if I wanted to get this.  
"Can I help you?" a lovely slim woman in her mid-twenties asked me politely.  
"I'm here for an interview with Seto Kaiba," I replied with a smile.  
"May I have your name?"  
"Robinson, Misty Robinson," I answered with a James Bond-style reply.  
"Oh, yes, Ms. Robinson. Mr. Kaiba is on the top floor, at the double mahogany doors with a dragon carved into them at the end of the hall."  
"Thank you kindly ma'am," I told her with a nod and a smile. I took the elevator and got off singing a tune stuck in my head quietly to myself when I noticed an empty seat on the bench beside another lady about my age, but dressed more businesslike.  
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"  
"Sure, I suppose." I sat down, clutching my folder and purse.  
"You interviewing for Mr. Kaiba's assistant position too?" I asked trying to be friendly and warm.

"Yes," she simply replied, and then continued to ignore me.  
"Well, good luck. I'm Misty, by the way," I introduced myself, still trying to be friendly. She just turned around and smiled tightly-she OBVIOUSLY didn't like people.

"I'm Lily," She simply replied, but then continued to ignore me again.

_"Snooty bitch!"_ I thought to myself. When her name was called, she got up and I said "Good luck!" Once she was in the office, behind closed doors, I thought,_ "She's going to need it!"_ To pass the time while I waited, I took out my Wingweaver card and reminisced about the day Wes had given it to me; he said it reminded him of me. It was so sweet of him, and since then, I kept it in my purse for luck. I missed him and my familia so much. I chuckled to myself as I remembered how petty the fights were when we did have our fights, but it was what siblings did. My family wasn't entirely thrilled with me moving to Japan, but they couldn't stop me; there was a force so strong drawing and keeping me here, like how a magnet draws metal to it. I reminded them I would keep in touch with them, but if they were going to call me or vice versa, we all had to remember I was about 14 hours or so ahead of them in time.

I was obliviously happy in my nostalgia bubble as I stroked my card fondly when it was popped at "Lily's" hasty and grouchy exit from Mr. Kaiba's office.

"Your turn," She said coldly and then stormed away. Well, that's what she gets for being icy. I took a deep breath and put my card in my pocket, gathered my things and walked to the door.

"Next!" I heard a gruff voice call. I was kind of caught off guard at how rough the voice was, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I composed myself to look confident and walked in. I had to admit I was VERY surprised to see a handsome guy my age with chestnut brown hair and icy blue eyes. I was even more surprised by his cold expression. I came forward with a cheerful and hopeful smile; a smile my familia had told me was very warm.

"Have a seat Ms. Robinson," He offered as cool as ice, his face not showing any emotion except annoyance as he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Perhaps it was "Lily" that put him in a bad mood? I calmly pulled the chair out and sat down and neatly put my things on my lap. I was already losing confidence in the feeling I had that was telling me I would get this job. Usually it was right, but right now I wasn't so sure.

"So, let's get right to it," He spoke gruffly. "I am Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp, and yes, I know you're Misty Robinson. Where are you from?" He asked calmly.

"I'm from San Antonio, Texas…in the U.S…" I answered calmly, but nervously, refusing to show it.

"I know Texas is in the U.S.," Mr. Kaiba snapped.

"I'm sorry…I'm a little nervous…" I admitted. Oh well, might as well get it out.

"I see. So, what brought you to Domino from the prairie?" Excuse me? Did he just say prairie? I felt a twitch in my eye in anger. _"Calm down, Misty,"_ I thought trying to do so.

"Is something wrong with your eye?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"Your eye is twitching," He pointed out.

"Is it?" I asked and continued to keep trying to calm down, and I hadn't meant to sound sarcastic. Mr. Kaiba frowned.

"Yes…" He said irritably.

"I was trying to remain calm at your question…" I replied. He looked confused.

"All I did was ask what brought you to Domino from the prairie," he stated. My eye twitched again. "There it is again."

"Please…do not talk about…where I'm from…like that…please…don't…" I stammered, struggling to stay calm. I was really seeing red now. I despised that damned stereotype of Texans.

"Isn't that what Texas is? A prairie with cowboys on horses?" Mr. Kaiba asked and was obviously unfazed by the insult. I couldn't help but glare at him.

"I'll have you know I came from the 9th largest city in the U.S., and one of the most beautiful. I came from the American Venice," I snapped. He looked stunned. "The stereotype you have for Texas is very inaccurate and very old. There are only a few places where that exists," I retorted.

"Whatever," Mr. Kaiba replied nonchalantly. My chocolate eyes blazed.

"I do not take well to insults to my home," I almost hissed and continued to glare. Well, there goes the accuracy of my "feeling." He continued to stare at me coldly. Oh, he wanted to continue?

"You need to learn to get over that," He retorted.

"Get over someone insulting my home, a place I love?" I echoed in shock.

"What else would I be talking about?" Mr. Kaiba snapped.

"With all due respect sir, how would you feel if someone insulted you with a stereotype in a foreign country you were visiting or moved to that show how little they know?" I asked. He looked surprised and thought for a silent few seconds.

"Alright, if it will help you get over it, I'll apologize so we can continue," Mr. Kaiba answered.

"As long as you mean it," I shrugged. He continued to stare at me in surprise.

"You can accept it or reject it. You're lucky I'm still continuing even as you're acting this way," Mr. Kaiba retorted and glared at me. I glared back.

"I'll accept it only if it's genuine," I replied unfazed by his glare.

"Fine. I'm sorry…for…insulting…your home…" He said slowly, but was clearly annoyed.

"Thank you," I said with a polite smile. He sighed as he could relax and go back to business.

"So, what brought you here if you love your home so much?" He asked and looked bored. He was looking somewhere else in the distance, slightly distracted. I was going to wait and answer when I had his undivided attention. He looked at me surprised again.

"I'm waiting. Don't waste my time," he commanded irritably.

"Now that I have your attention, I moved here to gain my independence and fell in love with the city and the culture," I retorted. He nodded as he listened, but I saw a smirk cross his face. "Why are you smirking at me like that?"

"You're the first to actually have the guts to challenge me and risk everything," Mr. Kaiba explained with his maddening smirk.

"…okay…I see…" I replied not knowing what else to say.

"Moving on…what made you think you deserve to be my assistant?" Oh, he was going straight for the throat, huh?

"I figured it would be a good opportunity for me, and I figured I'd give it a shot…especially since the pay looked like it would cover everything for me," I explained. "And I also figured I could be a big help to you, especially if I have good people skills in my past jobs," I added bluntly.

"I'll have to call your references on that last part," Mr. Kaiba retorted. "I haven't seen much of your 'good people skills' yet," He retorted with a snicker.

"Call them," I shrugged. He smirked again at me. "I also didn't have much of an opportunity to show you yet feeling insulted and all," I replied sarcastically. Somehow, that got him to laugh. I felt the confident feeling deep in my gut once again, but I ignored it since I already doubted my chances anyways. Oh, just end the torture already…

"You sure have a temper on you. Why should I hire someone with a temper like yours?"

"Most likely because I'll tell you straight up what's going on and won't beat around the bush. I am bluntly honest and if something's wrong, you'll know it. Usually, I'm very laid-back and relaxed, but my temper will show only if I'm mad or irritated. Also, I like to be as productive as possible and make the work so time flies rather fast when I do it," I added.

"How so?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"Usually, I turn it into a challenge or a game…and I can't resist a challenge," I replied with a light chuckle.

"Is that so?" Mr. Kaiba smirked. I could hear the cogs running in his head. He was going to challenge me. "Alright, I'll take you up on your challenge, and I'll hire you if you can meet it." He looked amused.

"What's the challenge?" I asked warily. The doubt was clouding the confident feeling again.

"Alright, you have 15 minutes to sort and file all these papers by client," Mr. Kaiba challenged me and instructed me on how to sort and file the HUGE stack of papers… and I had to do it alphabetically. "Time starts now." He then hit a button on his watch to time me. Immediately, I pulled the stack down to where I could reach it, and split it up. I picked up papers and looked at the clients' names and started making piles by first initial of the last name. Soon, there were about 20 piles near me. I heard Mr. Kaiba snickering at me and trying to distract me. I tuned him out and then started picking up the piles one at a time and alphabetized each name and put each stack in the correct letter folder. I had about 10 piles left to do and Mr. Kaiba announced I had 5 minutes left. I started flipping through the pages delicately and continued to organize the names. Five minutes…I could do this…

I had 2 minutes left and about 6 piles left. I stayed calm while I worked, but made sure to work fast.

"30 seconds," Mr. Kaiba announced and I had 2 piles left. Damnit! I finished one pile in 15, and went to work on a thick pile. DAMNIT! I kept working as fast and as delicately as I could so I wouldn't tear the papers and I had made about a third of a dent in the papers. I heard the timer beep, but I was only 2/3 done now with that pile. I put the stack of papers down, feeling defeated.

"You can finish," Mr. Kaiba said. I sighed and finished the stack about a minute later and filed it. "I'm sorry, you failed. Nice try." I merely bowed my head feeling dejected. I rose to my feet and got my things without a word. I turned to him and stared into his eyes.

"Well, thank you for your time…" I said and stuck my free hand out for a handshake. He returned the gesture and I gave him a firm, Texas-famous handshake, surprised to feel a bit of spark in the handshake. I pulled my hand back and then went down towards the bus stop, feeling gloomy. I saw the bus get there just as I left the building and I ran to it and even tripped. I looked up and then the bus was pulling away.

"DAMNIT!" I yelled angrily and winced as I tried to get up. What was worse was that it started pouring and lightning and thundering. I screamed in rage, frustration, and pain. I know I had gottn quite a few stares. I winced as I picked myself up and then my ruined folder. I groaned as I opened my folder and saw my ruined papers and the ink running down the pages, hence turning them purple. I growled as I threw them in the trashcan and then started hobbling home. I got home about an hour later, looking like a shivering drowned rat. I locked the door and then got my kimono and went to the bathroom. I peeled my drenched clothes off my body and then turned the hot water on in the tub to take a hot bath. At least the hot water helped me feel a little better, but I needed a job with money coming in like now. I could only survive for so long on what little I did have.

After my bath, I slipped on my kimono and picked up the wet clothes off the floor and dug through my pockets for my Wingweaver card. What? It wasn't here? Where was it? I searched my pockets frantically and started pulling them out, but nothing. I checked my jacket pockets…nada. I checked my purse…nada.

"DAMNIT!" I cursed and sighed as I tossed my wet clothes in the washer with some other darks and turned it on. I then went to my room and dressed in something warm and comfortable and sat on my bed with my fingers laced behind my bowed head and groaned in frustration. This was definitely NOT a good day. I had let my pride get the best of me and ruin a chance to be completely stable and on my feet, and I had lost one of my valuable possessions. Yeah, it was just a dumb card that were likely a dime a dozen with that game, but still, my brother had given it to me because it reminded him of me. I played with my dragon necklace gloomily and looked up a moment and saw my leftover flower thank you cards I had sent after my graduation to my familia and sighed. Well, I guess it would be a good habit to start now and maybe it would get me better chances of a call back after an interview as much of a chore it was. As long as it helped…I winced as I thought about sending Mr. Kaiba one after today. Well, had to start somewhere. I sighed as I looked online for the address to Kaiba Corp. and took a pen out of the pen cup and wrote a note on notebook paper to know what I was going to write. I clenched my jaw as I wrote:

_Dear Mr. Kaiba,_

_I would like to formally thank you for taking the time to meet with me about this job opportunity._

_Sincerely,_

_Misty Robinson._

Well, it was short and simple and I figured it was a decent card. I didn't know what else to say. I put it in the addressed envelope and put a return address label in the corner and a stamp. I walked down to the apartments' mailboxes and dropped it in the outgoing mailbox.

Two days later…

I was at the grocery store perusing the aisles still feeling slightly gloomy. I had had no luck with jobs yet. I grabbed the smartest yet cheapest things I could get; I couldn't afford to have anything break on me or get ruined. I passed by the greeting card aisle and smiled a half-smile. Perhaps the funny cards might cheer me up some? I pushed my cart down the aisle and then came to the funny birthday cards. I picked one up randomly and read it, giving a slight chuckle. Well, that felt a little better. I chuckled at a particularly funny one and then felt someone watching me. I looked in the direction of the watching eyes and was surprised to see Mr. Kaiba. I blinked a little in disbelief and surprise, and gave him a polite half-smile. I put the card back and then started to slowly push my cart down the aisle glancing at the merchandise. I didn't expect him to follow me. He tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to face him.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba? Is there something I can do for you?" I said coolly. I refused to show him what I was going through; that was none of his business.

"You left this in my office a couple days ago," He announced as he held up a Wingweaver card. My eyes widened as I saw my lucky card and I took it back and put it in my purse to make sure I would have it.

"Thank you so much! I was so upset when I thought I had lost it," I babbled gratefully.

"You're welcome. What's so special about the card anyways?" He coolly asked, his face not showing any kind of emotion really, except his eyes did show slight curiosity.

"It was my brother's. He gave it to me one day and told me that it reminded him of me, so he gave it to me as a lucky charm and this too," I answered as I took my "lucky" dragon necklace out of my shirt. "I could never fully forgive myself for losing something my brother had given me, even if it was a common trinket," I added. Mr. Kaiba seemed a TINY bit compassionate when I had said that.

"I see. I know exactly where you're coming from. My brother means the world to me too." I was a bit surprised he revealed something so personal to me. I thought he didn't like me? You could cut the awkwardness with a knife it was so thick right now between him and I.

"You should take better care of that card," He advised. "It's an incredibly powerful monster."

"I take care of it just fine," I retorted irritably.

"Obviously not if you left it in my office," He countered.

"For your information, I keep that card on my person at all times…except for these past 2 days. I was getting myself psyched up for the interview with you by holding it and remembering all the good times my brother and I shared, and I put it in my pocket. It must've fallen out when I tried to meet your challenge," I retorted.

"I see…" Mr. Kaiba replied and smirked. I gave him a stony expression.

"Why are you smirking like that?" I asked.

"Your attitude is amusing."

"I'm so glad I could entertain you," I retorted sarcastically. He snickered again. I turned on my heel and then began to keep walking. He followed me again.

"And I also got this," He said as he showed me the thank you card.

"And?" I retorted.

"And I wanted to give you another shot at an interview," I blinked in shock.

"Seriously?" I asked in surprise. Mr. Kaiba nodded sternly. "When?"

"Now's fine," I stared even more in shock and surprise.

"Why?" I asked. I still couldn't believe this. It was quite unorthodox.

"Why not? No time like the present. I have a lot of work to do and do not want to waste any time setting something up when I could get something more important done at that time. I can ask you what I need to ask you right here right now. I figured you'd be vying for another chance." He sounded kind of egotistic, but alright; this was fine…I guess.

"Alright, shoot," I replied and leaned against my still cart.

"So, what did you mean that this job would be a good opportunity and that it would cover everything for you?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"It would cover all my expenses such as rent, groceries, tuition, books, bills, food, and other necessities. All of that eats up my money pretty quick," I answered.

"I see. So tell me about your past jobs that gave you the 'good people skills' you claim to have," Mr. Kaiba implored as he leaned against the greeting cards stand with his arms crossed nonchalantly.

"I used to work in restaurants doing practically everything, and I had to be warm and friendly. It was easy with my nature, and I would strike up conversations with the customers and socialize with them while I got their stuff. They seemed to enjoy it," I explained briefly.

"How did you make those jobs interesting?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"Well, I would have endurance challenges for myself and also entertain the guests at the same time. I remember one time I was doing the soda fountains and I was bored, so I came up with nicknames, bartender style, for all the sodas and drinks, depending on the season or holiday. It made the guests and my coworkers laugh. It also helped move the line along a bit." Mr. Kaiba laughed.

"Seriously?" He asked while laughing.

"Yup. I'm serious. I did. Being amusing helped keep me cheerful and sane," I replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

"And I have to admit, I was impressed at how quickly you were able to get all those papers sorted, even if you didn't quite finish in time. You were pretty close and did pretty well for the circumstances," Mr. Kaiba told me.

"Thank you, but close don't count, only in horseshoes and hand grenades," I responded modestly. That made him laugh again.

"A bit of a perfectionist, aren't you?" Mr. Kaiba asked while chuckling.

"Not exactly. I'll do my best to meet my goals and challenges, but I will never be anywhere NEAR perfect…not in a million years. Only God is perfect," I replied modestly. Mr. Kaiba nodded as he thought about it.

"I suppose you're right," He said nonchalantly.

"Thank you," I responded calmly.

"So, are you dependable?"

"Yep. I'm on time and work hard. I take work seriously even though I like to make it fun. I'll do whatever is necessary to do and even look for things to do, without complaining unless absolutely necessary. I have an independent streak that makes me do everything I can as independently as possible before I even think about asking for help." He nodded approvingly.

"Alright, when are you available to work?" Mr. Kaiba asked me.

"Well, I have class everyday except Fridays in the morning. I can come to work at about 10 or 11 a.m. or so, and Fridays I can work all day, and weekends too, if necessary," I answered.

"That sounds like a decent schedule. Why 11 though?" Mr. Kaiba asked curiously.

"It depends on how soon the bus can get there. I said 10 or 11 to give me that window of time," I replied.

"Where do you go to school?"

"I'm going to Academie Domino," I answered politely.

"Really? I go there too. I suppose I could give you a ride from school in the limo. I take morning classes too and if I hire you, I don't want to regret it, and you did say you were on time and dependable. I don't want to be lied to. I figure since we have the same time of classes and go to the same school, it makes sense if I give you a ride without worrying about the bus getting you there on time. Besides, if you're going to be my assistant, you need to make me look good. I don't think having my P.A. ride the bus when I need something is a good idea, especially if I need things done fast. And how would that look on me anyways if my assistant is riding the bus?"

"Okay…well…thank you…" I replied in surprise. His logic did make sense though…in a way.

"So, what questions do you have for me?" Mr. Kaiba prompted.

"Um…what exactly will I be doing?"

"Well, you'll be helping with paperwork for sure and helping to sort, file, and organize them, some data entry, running errands if necessary, assisting me with projects, traveling with me and my brother in our limo and jets, and helping me with clients at social functions. Any other questions?"

"Um…what are the perks?"

"Well you have a good health and dental plan, one month's worth of vacation time after 6 months- use it well, I'm pretty flexible with time…I guess…, and when we do travel or go to a social function, you don't really have to worry about paying for anything really. All I need you to do is just be my assistant. Clear?"

"Crystal," I answered briskly.

"Alright, congratulations- you're my assistant. Don't screw this up. You start Monday."

"I don't plan to screw up. Thank you, very much," I said with a courteous bow and shook his hand with my famous Texan grip and felt the spark again. Weird. I just hoped I didn't fall for him- I swore work-relationships off completely. I had to admit, there was chemistry, but I wasn't going to let that happen- not if I could help it. Strangely, I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to stop it, but I had to at least try to. Surprisingly, after the unorthodox job interview in the greeting card aisle that left me feeling like I was soaring, he decided to shop with me. Awk-waaarrrrdddd….

"So, out of curiosity, what made you decide to come to the grocery store and talk to me?" I asked as I got out milk from behind the glass door in the dairy section.

"I saw you get off the bus in front of the store as I passed by in the limo, and I figured it would be a good time to talk," Mr. Kaiba explained.

"I see…" I replied as I arranged the things in my cart. I could tell he was checking out my groceries and it made me feel even more awkward.

"I decided to walk with you now to get to know you a little," I raised my eyebrow at him a little. "If you're going to be my P.A., I have to know you well and trust you. I can't trust a stranger," He explained as coolly as possible.

"I guess…" I replied as I pushed my cart to the paper towels and toilet paper aisle feeling even more awkward now, especially as I felt staring eyes watching both him and me. He didn't seem to mind though…I guess he was used to being watched so often. Well, I guess I would have to get used to it too since I was now his P.A. and everyone will be staring at me too.

"So, tell me about yourself," Mr. Kaiba prompted.

"What do you want to know?" I asked as I kept my eyes on the merchandise and picked up a bulk pack of toilet paper and put it under the cart.

"Alright, what are you majoring in?" Mr. Kaiba casually asked.

"Well, Pre-Med. I'm planning to be a pharmacist, and you?" I answered nonchalantly as I started to meander through the pets' aisle and smiled fondly as I reminisced about my dogs back home. I missed them.

"I'm majoring in Business," He answered and I made my way through the frozen food aisle and picked things here and there I needed as he watched.

"That doesn't surprise me," I replied.

"So, do you duel?" Mr. Kaiba asked me out of the blue.

"No, I don't. I never got how to play and never got into it. Wingweaver is the only card I have. I can't afford to buy them either. My brother got a deck for his birthday and he gave me her," I replied and smiled as I thought of my brother.

"I see…you'll have to learn. I can't have a P.A. who doesn't know anything about dueling. A lot of the projects I'll likely have you help work on involve dueling. It wouldn't look good at all if you appeared useless in that sense," Mr. Kaiba retorted. I turned and gave him a serious expression.

"Alright, I'll learn, but lucky you, you get to teach me because you're the one who's so damn worried about it," I retorted and then chuckled. "What would you do if I beat you in dueling?" He laughed heartily.

"That's hilarious. It'll never happen!" He declared. "You're hilarious," he remarked while laughing. I shrugged.

"Answer my question. What would you do if I beat you? And never say never. They said the Titanic will never sink, and look what happened to it.

"Then the world will come to an end as we know it- a novice beating me," Mr. Kaiba roared with laughter. "If that were the case, I'd be VERY impressed, and you'll be helping a lot."

"And how do you expect me to get the cards?" I retorted as I continued to grab groceries, and then started making my way down more aisles. "I told you I can't really afford them," I reminded him.

"I suppose you can use some of the cards I have. I have most of them," Mr. Kaiba offered.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. I'll duel only if it makes me useful," I replied humbly.

"I'm curious to see how you duel though," Mr. Kaiba told me. He was obviously still amused about my remark about what if I beat him. I shrugged.

"So, moving on, tell me about your brother and your family," He prompted. "You seem very close to your brother."

"Yes, I love him to pieces…when he's not annoying me. He's so protective of me, particularly for a 12 year-old," I replied with a fond snicker as I thought of him.

"He's 12 too? So is my brother Mokuba."

"Cool. They seem like they'll get along famously," I predicted. "I'm sure Wes, my brother, would love to hang out with Mokuba. I can see Wes inviting him to our birthday party in March…if I manage to get home for it."

"When in March?" Mr. Kaiba asked curiously.

"The last week. March is a HUGE birthday month in my family. My brother and I are 2 days apart. He's the 24th, I'm the 26th," I replied.

"I'll bet Mokuba would enjoy going," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Cool, well, I guess we'll have to play that by ear then," I remarked. We continued chatting here and there about random things that seemed relatively important…in a way. I also told him about the fact I could speak some Spanish and was incredibly creative and artistic.

When it came time to pay for the groceries, I loaded everything on the belt and watched the total add up. I had only so much budgeted for groceries to survive. When the cashier had added up the total I was dismayed to find that I was short about $20. I would have to put a few things back. I bit my lip and picked the few groceries I could make do without and asked the cashier to put them back behind the counter after taking them off my total; however, before the cashier did anything, Mr. Kaiba stopped him. I stared in surprise at Mr. Kaiba. Why was he stopping him?

"I'll give you the difference you need," Mr. Kaiba whispered to me privately. I was frozen for a second and sighed reluctantly.

"Okay…thank…y-y-you…" I whispered back. "I'll pay you back, I swear," I promised hurriedly. "No, just…don't worry about it…" He insisted. I paid the cashier and grabbed my green bags and started waddling out of the store like a penguin. I resisted when I felt someone trying to take my bags for me and found Mr. Kaiba was the one trying to take the bags.

"I'll be fine!" I insisted and saw the bus coming just as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. I felt a few raindrops falling too. The bad thing…I was still 100 yards away from the stop.

"SHIT!" I yelled in anger and tried to run for the bus. As luck would have it, one of my bags slipped out of my hand and spilled the contents. I hurriedly picked them up and kept running vainly as the bus left. I yelled in frustration and anger.

"NOT AGAIN!" I snarled. I saw someone standing over me as I sat on the ground.

"Do you need a ride?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"…If you don't mind…" I replied hesitantly as I got up and let him carry some of my bags to the limo that pulled up. He opened the trunk and put them in there and closed it once I had put my bags in. He opened the door and waited for me to get in. I hesitated a moment, but then got in. He came in next and then shut the door.

"Thanks…I'll…have to…pay you…back…someday…" I told him reluctantly. I hated being obligated, but I had to repay his kindness somehow.

"No…just don't…don't worry about it. I don't like people owing me favors, nor do I like owing them either. Don't think about it," He said sternly. I started shivering and tried to hide it. He seemed to notice and turned the heat on for me.

"Thanks…"I told him and gave him my address and he told the chauffer where to go.

"Hey, do you mind if we pick up my brother from school before I drop you off?"

"That's fine," I replied with a nonchalant shrug. He called to the chauffer again and told him to go his brother's school first. We continued to chat here and there about random things, mostly about what San Antonio was like. I still couldn't believe what was going on. Here I was, wet, shivering, and in Mr. Kaiba's limo as his new assistant, with my groceries in the trunk, and we were talking about my hometown. Soon, we were in front of Mokuba's school and then a boy with long raven-black hair quickly got into the limo next to Mr. Kaiba.

"Hey Seto!" He greeted happily and hugged Mr. Kaiba.

"Hey Mokuba," Mr. Kaiba greeted with a smile and hugged him. Awww. That was so sweet! "So, how was school?"

"It was fun! We got to dissect frogs in science class!" Mokuba said excitedly and told Mr. Kaiba about his day before noticing me.

"Hey Seto, who's this?" Mokuba asked as his grey eyes looked me over curiously.

"Hi, I'm Misty Robinson," I introduced myself and extended my hand for a handshake.

"She's our new assistant," Mr. Kaiba whispered in his ear.

"Oh! Hi, I'm Mokuba," Mokuba introduced himself with a smile and shook my hand. "Oh, wow, you have a strong grip," He remarked. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I replied with a smile.

"So, where are you from?" Mokuba asked me curiously.

"I'm from San Antonio, Texas," I answered.

"What brought you here?" He asked with the same tone of curiosity. It felt like déjà vu, but this felt differently. He wasn't being stereotypical like his brother was.

"Freedom, and to spread my wings and be independent," I replied cheerily.

"So, how do you like Domino?"

"I love it! I fell in love with the charm and the culture, and couldn't resist it. It ties in my heart with San Antonio as the best place to be," I replied.

"What's San Antonio like?" I smiled broadly.

"Well, it IS the 9th largest city in the U.S., it has LOTS of culture, it's very friendly, very beautiful, very economical, and quite warm. It's also ALWAYS growing, it's one of the most haunted places in the U.S., it's home to the NBA champs the Spurs, and usually the people who go there fall in love with the city. Y'all would love it," I predicted with a chuckle.

"You seem so sure," Mr. Kaiba remarked smugly. I shrugged.

"It's been known to happen to most everyone who does come," I replied nonchalantly. "People come from miles around, and even around the world. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourselves."

"Maybe we will," Mr. Kaiba retorted with a smug expression. I continued to chat with Mokuba and noticed Mr. Kaiba watching us. Soon, we had arrived at my apartment complex.

"Well, welcome to my humble abode," I said modestly. "Thanks for the ride," I remarked as I opened the door and got out into the pouring rain and tapped the trunk to get my groceries. I heard it pop open and saw someone else's hands lift it up.

"I can help you carry these up," Mr. Kaiba offered, and then Mokuba appeared too. I blinked in surprise.

"Okay, thanks," I replied not knowing what else to say. I fished my keys out and attached the hook to my belt loop and grabbed a few bags and quickly but carefully walked up the stairs to make sure I didn't slip or get too wet. Mr. Kaiba and Mokuba followed closely behind and watched me unlock the door.

"I can take it from here. Thank y'all so much," I thanked them as I nudged the door open with my foot and started to get everything inside. "See y'all Monday…thanks again," I said with another handshake and disappeared inside and locked the door. I took a deep breath as I put my groceries away and put some dry clothes on. I was still in shock about all the events that happened.

"_See? I told you that you'd get that job_," My thoughts gloated and the feeling in my stomach returned.

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever_," I retorted with a half-chuckle. Finally, I could relax a little.

~Seto's POV~

I awoke at about 5 a.m. reluctantly with a yawn. Great…another day of interviewing stupid bimbos to be my assistant. I was not looking forward to another round of torture. How long would I have to endure this? I had already endured two weeks of this. I was just about ready to give up all together seeing as how I would NEVER get a worthy assistant, but I needed one bad…I had so much work to catch up on, including a new project coming up. I was so tired and I'm sure Mokuba was too. I was so glad I had my brother to help me with all the work, but we were only two guys who had our limits. If only I could find one worthy enough to lift some of the weight off our shoulders. I got up and got showered and dressed and got some coffee going. This wasn't going to be strong enough to endure the torture. While the coffee was brewing I walked over to Mokuba's room and saw him sleeping peacefully. It was a LONG night of work and I hated to wake him up, but I had to.

"Hey Mokuba, time to get up," I said as I sat on his bed and nudged him. I heard him groan.

"No Seto, five more minutes…" he mumbled.

"Sorry Mokuba, time to get up," I replied with a snicker.

"Alright," Mokuba groaned as he opened his eyes and yawned and then started moving and getting ready. I went and had a quick breakfast I whipped up and read the paper.

When Mokuba had gotten ready and had eaten a good breakfast, we got into the limo and Edward dropped him off at school and me at Kaiba Corp. Thankfully, there was no class yet. It was nice being in college, mostly because the loser squad was going to be nowhere in sight. I didn't exactly need to get the degree considering I had 6 years experience running the company and such, but at least with a degree I'd have a LOT more respect…even for being the most feared CEO in Domino already. I moaned with a stretch as I reminisced about the pain Mokuba and I endured already and prepared for the long day ahead. I did some work for a little while before looking at the appointment book and seeing a woman named Lily had an interview with me in a few minutes, and then right after her, a woman named Misty Robinson. I had a lot more girls later on in the afternoon too. Bring on the skimpy-clothed, airheaded bimbo fangirls…I sighed heavily and then a few minutes later…it was time to interview this Lily. I called her name and watched her walk in.

Wow…a first…a woman dressed very businesslike to interview with me. Could she be the assistant I was looking for? We shook hands and I was expecting a firm grip, but hers was crushing and painful, plus she looked stone-cold serious and I felt a chill in the air as she sat down. Her resume was impressive, but she was rather emotionless and rarely smiled. As the interview went on I was rather put off. She was qualified, but she was so stiff and so cold. Great…just what I needed.

"I'm sorry Ms. Woods, but you're not a good fit for this job. I haven't felt this cold in so long in my own office, and I don't want to walk into a freezer every time you're here," I told her bluntly.

"Excuse me?" She blinked in shock and offense.

"What don't you get? You don't belong here. Try going to work for the government," I retorted.

"I will not take this offense from you!" She retorted and got up huffily and left. Good riddance. Next up…Misty.

"Next!" I called gruffly. There was a moment's hesitation. Good start…wasting a moment of my time. Then I saw a curvy, big-hipped woman with odd knees who was very smartly dressed and was wearing a blue and white dragon pendant around her neck walk into my office with a rather surprised expression on her face as she looked me over, but it changed into a hopeful and cheerfully bright smile and a liveliness lit up her intense brown eyes. I don't know why I honestly noticed, but I couldn't help it. Well, she didn't look like a bimbo nor did she seem to act like one either, and the way she walked was surprising. I had never seen a walk with confidence like that. I had heard about something like it, but hadn't seen it.

"Have a seat Ms. Robinson," I offered coolly, my face not showing any emotion except annoyance as I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. I was still expecting the worst and I was still feeling the horrible residue of the last interview too. She calmly pulled the chair out and sat down and neatly put her things on her lap. Finally, a modest, lady-like, warm, woman. I was feeling better already.

"So, let's get right to it," I spoke gruffly. "I am Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp, and yes, I know you're Misty Robinson. Where are you from?" I asked calmly and curiously. I did wonder where she had come from especially with the way she walked and the way she was so surprised to have seen me. I pretty much interviewed almost all of the women in Domino these last two weeks and I had never seen her before around town. Sure, Domino was a big city, but I don't think I'd be able to forget the intensity of her expressions, especially in her eyes and in her walk; I was sure I would've been able to recognize her easily.

"I'm from San Antonio, Texas…in the U.S…" She answered calmly, but I think she might have been nervous; however, I was still annoyed at her pointing out the obvious.

"I know Texas is in the U.S.," I snapped. So, she was from Texas. So that explains the way she walked. I had already formed a picture of this woman living in a small town in the countryside, or on a ranch, at the most. She looked impressive considering her background.

"I'm sorry…I'm a little nervous…" she admitted.

"I see. So, what brought you to Domino from the prairie?" I could see her eyes widen and then one of them twitched. What was wrong with her eye and why did she react that way?

"Is something wrong with your eye?" I inquired.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Great- she was either playing dumb or didn't notice. Maybe it was just a tic she had?

"Your eye is twitching," I pointed out.

"Is it?" She asked sarcastically. So, she DID notice. I frowned irritably at her sarcasm. What gave her the right to talk to me in that tone?

"Yes…" I retorted irritably.

"I was trying to remain calm at your question…" she answered. What? What the hell did that mean?

"All I did was ask what brought you to Domino from the prairie," I repeated and saw the twitch again. "There it is again." There had to be a connection.

"Please…do not talk about…where I'm from…like that…please…don't…" Misty stammered, struggling to stay calm. She looked like she would explode soon.

"Isn't that what Texas is? A prairie with cowboys on horses?" I asked and she fixed her intense brown eyes on me in a fierce glare. Okay, I didn't know that much about what Texas was like, sue me.

"I'll have you know I came from the 9th largest city in the U.S., and one of the most beautiful. I came from the American Venice," Misty snapped viciously. I was surprised at her brazen response; nobody had stood up to me like this woman was. "The stereotype you have for Texas is very inaccurate and very old. There are only a few places where that exists," she retorted.

"Whatever," I replied nonchalantly. I could see the fire blazing in her eyes now. I had never seen such a fire like this before; though she didn't scare me…I had been through hell.

"I do not take well to insults to my home," She hissed and continued to glare, almost unblinkingly. Freaky.

"You need to learn to get over that," I retorted. There were many people who thought of Texas like that and she couldn't get angry at EVERY reference, right?

"Get over someone insulting my home, a place I love?" She echoed in shock and I could see her tremble with anger.

"What else would I be talking about?" I snapped annoyed. Damn, you think it would be obvious…what was wrong with her?

"With all due respect sir, how would you feel if someone insulted you with a stereotype in a foreign country you were visiting or moved to that shows how little they know?" She asked. I wasn't expecting that question. I was silent for a few seconds as I thought of a reply and how to get her off of this damn topic. Wow, I was surprised I still wanted to keep going at all with this interview.

"Alright, if it will help you get over it, I'll apologize so we can continue," I answered annoyed. Damn. I had never had this much trouble before.

"As long as you mean it," she shrugged. Whoa…she just kept going. She was obviously not going to let it go that easily unless she got what she wanted. I had to admit I was a bit impressed by her stubbornness.

"You can accept it or reject it. You're lucky I'm still continuing even as you're acting this way," I retorted and glared at her. I wasn't about to let her push me around like that.

"I'll accept it only if it's genuine," she bargained and was unfazed by my glare. Alright, fine…as long as it would get her to drop it finally. Damn, make a mistake of making a generalization and I get my head chewed off…in my own office. Why the hell was I still continuing with her? I should be having her escorted off the premises by security, but I couldn't- I wanted her here.

"Fine. I'm sorry…for…insulting…your home…" I said reluctantly and VERY annoyed, irritated, and angrily.

"Thank you," she replied with a polite smile, almost like the one she came in with. Whoa! Talk about a 180 personality change. Was she bipolar? I was astounded…she actually dropped it by a simple apology? Wow…

"So, what brought you here if you love your home so much?" I asked without truly caring. I got distracted by what was going on outside and waited for her to answer. Why was she silent? Was she thinking about it? I was a bit surprised and quite annoyed. "I'm waiting. Don't waste my time," I commanded irritably. I was surprised to see that she had a smug smirk on her face when I finally looked at her and addressed her. What? She knew I wasn't listening and she waited to get my full attention? Wow…that was smart…

"Now that I have your attention, I moved here to gain my independence and fell in love with the city and the culture," Misty retorted. I nodded at her response and smirked amusedly at her. "Why are you smirking at me like that?"

"You're the first to actually have the guts to challenge me and risk everything," I explained and admitted with a smirk. Well, it was true… the other bimbos would just keep babbling and not even notice I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying and distracted myself with other things. Misty, on the other hand, actually made sure I had my attention on her. I hadn't met a woman who demanded as much respect as she wanted before. I was oddly fascinated with her. I wondered if she would be this tenacious everyday if I hired her. I could do without her attitude though. Was she always like this?

"…okay…I see…" She replied.

"Moving on…what made you think you deserve to be my assistant?" Alright, time to match wits with her. If she wanted to be direct and blunt, so could I.

"I figured it would be a good opportunity for me, and I figured I'd give it a shot…especially since the pay looked like it would cover everything for me, and I also figured I could be a big help to you, especially if I have good people skills in my past jobs," Misty replied bluntly. Good people skills? That was hilariously ridiculous. What did she mean by cover everything?

"I'll have to call your references on that last part," I retorted. "I haven't seen much of your 'good people skills' yet," I added with a snicker. I had a hard time believing she had the skills she claimed to have, and I needed proof of it. I wasn't going to hire her if she didn't know how to handle clients or customers right.

"Call them," Misty shrugged. I couldn't help but smirk again at her nonchalant attitude and her dare. "I also didn't have much of an opportunity to show you yet feeling insulted and all," Misty added sarcastically and made me laugh. She seriously wasn't going to let it go that easily, was she? Her sarcasm made me laugh too. Wow, it's been a while before anybody could make me laugh like she was, even if she was bluntly sarcastic. I liked her.

"You sure have a temper on you. Why should I hire someone with a temper like yours?" I asked bluntly.

"Most likely because I'll tell you straight up what's going on and won't beat around the bush. I am bluntly honest and if something's wrong, you'll know it. Usually, I'm very laid-back and relaxed, but my temper will show only if I'm mad or irritated. Also, I like to be as productive as possible and make the work so time flies rather fast when I do it," Misty answered. Well, there was some grain of truth there, but I had to see for myself on the laid-back part. I was curious about what she meant by being as productive as possible and making time fly fast. She could do that? Time just seemed to not be our friend. Sometimes the work dragged and the minutes ticked by slowly, and other times, we didn't have the time to work on anything.

"How so?" I asked curiously. What kind of things did she do?

"Usually, I turn it into a challenge or a game…and I can't resist a challenge," Misty replied with a chuckle. Oooh, now to really get her back for acting like she did today. Oooh, revenge was going to be sweet.

"Is that so?" I smirked. I had an idea already too. "Alright, I'll take you up on your challenge, and I'll hire you if you can meet it." Perfect. Now it was time to see how good she truly is and make my decision then. I did kind of hope she could meet what I was going to give her.

"What's the challenge?" Misty asked warily.

"Alright, you have 15 minutes to sort all these papers by client," I challenged and instructed her on how I wanted them sorted…alphabetically. Oooh, this was definitely a worthy challenge right here! I wished I had come up with something creative though, but this was fine for now. "Time starts now." I then hit a button on my watch to time her. I watched as she immediately pulled the papers down to her level to reach it and split it up. Not bad. I watched her leaf through the papers and sort them into about 20 piles or so around her. I snickered at the mess she had made with the 20 piles and tried to distract her. Hey, I had to see how well she did under pressure and I was trying to distract her like an umpire would distract a hitter in baseball. I was impressed that Misty didn't look up once and kept her focus on the work. Very good. She was doing a pretty good job alphabetizing each pile one at a time and putting them in the folder. She was about halfway done and I looked to see how much time she had. Had it been 10 minutes already?

I announced to her that she had 5 minutes left to impress me. That was plenty of time, right? She flipped through the pages rapidly but delicately. I was quite impressed at her handling the papers. By the time she had gotten 4 piles done, Misty had 2 minutes left.

"30 seconds," I announced and Misty had 2 piles left. Almost there… she finished one pile in 15, and went to work on the last one. Uh-oh…looks like she lost…this was a thick pile. I was impressed that she didn't give up and kept working despite at that time she had made a dent of getting to only 1/3 of the papers done. By the timer beeped, she had only got 2/3 of the way done with the papers. Aww…too bad...She put the stack down defeated and dejected.

"You can finish," I said. Well, she might as well finish the stack. Poor Misty… I was hoping she could do it, but I was amazed she managed to sort it that fast for me and Mokuba. She sighed and finished the stack about a minute later and filed it. "I'm sorry, you failed. Nice try." I told her. She merely bowed her head dejectedly, her pride hurt. I felt kind of bad for her. Misty rose to her feet and got her things without a word. I was surprised when she looked into my eyes next.

"Well, thank you for your time…" She said and stuck her free hand out for a handshake. I returned the gesture and she gave me a firm, handshake. I was surprised to feel a bit of spark in the handshake. Whoa, what the hell was that? I felt a sort of electricity course through me at the contact with her hand. She turned and quickly left the office. I looked on the floor and then saw a Wingweaver card. I picked it up and inspected the card. I looked up to see if I could still catch her, but she was gone. A couple minutes later or so, I heard someone yelling loudly down below outside and then it started raining. I looked out the window and saw Misty on all fours on the ground getting soaked. She picked up her folder and threw it away and then started limping away from the bus stop. I pursed my lips feeling bad for her as I watched her limping away. I looked at the Wingweaver card and wondered why she had it. Was she a duelist? This was probably one of her most important monsters considering how strong Wingweaver was. I could feel a strange sort of pulse from it that sort of reminded me of Mokuba. Odd…I put the card in my wallet for safekeeping, hoping I would see her again soon and give it back to her.

I went back to work and a while later, had lunch. After lunch, it was time for more interviews. I interviewed 5 women…no, girls really…considering how immature they were. Unsurprisingly, they all, except a couple who wore decent clothes at least, wore the skimpy tight clothes and tried to impress me with their airheaded, stupid personalities and lack of knowledge. I was already wishing I had hired Misty. I hope she at least got home safely in the storm. I dismissed each of the bimbos angrily and then decided to go pick up Mokuba from school. I ducked into the limo from the rain and watched the buildings and traffic go by and then wondered if I would see Misty on the street at least.

We got to Mokuba's school and he climbed in and shook his head, spraying rain everywhere. I laughed a little.

"Hey Seto. How did the interviews go?" Mokuba asked with a smile as he shut the door and sat down.

"They were all terrible, except one," I answered and shuddered at the memory of all the women I interviewed today and thought about Misty's tenaciousness.

"Except one? Did you hire her?" Mokuba asked eagerly. He was as desperate as I was to get an assistant to help us out fast.

"No…" I admitted and mentally kicked myself.

"What happened?" Mokuba asked surprised. He seemed so hopeful for that "except one".

"Well, she was rather tenacious and stubborn, but I admired that about her. I gave her a challenge sorting the papers that have been on my desk for about a month alphabetically by client, and she didn't meet the challenge I set for her," I explained. "She came REALLY close, but she didn't make it, and the rule was if she did meet it, then I would hire her," I added to clarify.

"Oh, I see," Mokuba replied as he understood and sighed. "I hope you can find someone soon," he said. "What about the other ladies?"

"One was a stone-cold, frosty one, and the others besides the one I almost hired and the stone-cold lady were all the same."

"Maybe you should give the one you almost hired a second chance? We can't keep going on with the ones who keep applying and are all the same," Mokuba pointed out. He did have a good point. We continued talking and went back to Kaiba Corp to work and then went home later.

A couple of days later…

I sifted through the mail for the company and walked up to my office. I sat at my desk and tossed the mail in the box when I saw something strange in the stack of mail- it looked like a card of some sort. I picked up the card out of the mail and saw the return label. I couldn't believe Misty Robinson had sent this. What was it? I opened it curiously and saw a thank-you card with a tropical print on the front and a VERY concise note thanking me for my time. Wow… I was NOT expecting this. It was actually protocol to send a thank you note after a job interview, but nobody seemed to have taken that seriously…except for her…wow…

I had to give her a second chance. I endured more interviews and just after all that I had a late lunch and was on the way back to the office in the limo. I passed a grocery store and I saw Misty getting off the bus in front of the store, and I saw her gloomy expression.

"Edward, go back to the grocery store," I ordered and immediately Edward found a way to turn around and went back to the store. "Stay here in the parking lot please." I walked into the store and avoided some of the fangirls who tried to mob me. Now, where was she? I walked down the main aisle looking up and down each aisle to see where she was and saw her chuckling at a greeting card, but her eyes seemed melancholy. She looked up at me and blinked in surprise and disbelief. She gave me a polite half-smile before putting the card away and started to slowly push her cart down the aisle, glancing at the merchandise. She obviously must still be feeling awkward about a couple days ago. I followed her and tapped her shoulder and she turned to face me.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba? Is there something I can do for you?" She asked coolly. I could see she was trying to keep her pride and be polite at the same time.

"You left this in my office a couple days ago," I announced as I held up the Wingweaver card. Her eyes widened as she saw the card and she snatched it back and put it in her purse.

"Thank you so much! I was so upset when I thought I had lost it," She babbled gratefully. It was so nice to see her so happy and to smile.

"You're welcome. What's so special about the card anyways?" I asked coolly and didn't let my face show any emotion, but I was VERY curious about why she was so excited to see the card she left and why she had been so upset about losing it.

"It was my brother's. He gave it to me one day and told me that it reminded him of me, so he gave it to me as a lucky charm and this too," Misty answered as she took a blue and white dragon necklace out of her shirt. I vaguely remembered seeing her wear it a couple days ago. "I could never fully forgive myself for losing something my brother had given me, even if it was a common trinket," I totally understood where she was coming from and I was glad to know that she was so close to her brother as I was to Mokuba.

"I see. I know exactly where you're coming from. My brother means the world to me too." I couldn't believe I let myself reveal that personal information to her. She looked just as surprised as I was and then there was a painful awkward silence so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"You should take better care of that card. It's an incredibly powerful monster," I advised seriously.

"I take care of it just fine," Misty retorted irritably and her eyes blazed again. Wow, she surely had a temper as reactive as Nitroglycerin. Was there anything that didn't set her off?

"Obviously not if you left it in my office," I countered. She was stubborn too.

"For your information, I keep that card on my person at all times…except for these past 2 days. I was getting myself psyched up for the interview with you by holding it and remembering all the good times my brother and I shared, and I put it in my pocket. It must've fallen out when I tried to meet your challenge," Misty retorted angrily.

"I see…" I replied with a smirk. She was amusing when she was fired up, and her expression added to my amusement.

"Why are you smirking like that?" Misty asked with that scornful expression on her face.

"Your attitude is amusing."

"I'm so glad I could entertain you," Misty retorted sarcastically. I couldn't help snickering again. She obviously didn't like that so she spun on her heel and started walking away. Hey, I wasn't done with her yet. I then started following her again.

"And I also got this," I announced and showed her the card she sent me.

"And?" she retorted.

"And I wanted to give you another shot at an interview." She blinked in shock. Yes, I was serious and I made sure to show a serious expression on my face for her.

"Seriously?" Well, at least she wasn't trying to bite my head off now. I nodded sternly and seriously. "When?" Good, she was taking the second chance. I guess I couldn't blame her for still being as surprised as she was.

"Now's fine," Her eyes widened even more with shock and surprise. Well, okay, I suppose that suggestion was surprising, I had to give her that, but there was no time like the present.

"Why?"

"Why not? No time like the present. I have a lot of work to do and do not want to waste any time setting something up when I could get something more important done at that time. I can ask you what I need to ask you right here right now. I figured you'd be vying for another chance," I explained and saw her eyebrow climb in puzzlement and slight irritation.

"Alright, shoot," She beckoned as she leaned against her still cart.

"So, what did you mean that this job would be a good opportunity and that it would cover everything for you?" I still wanted to know what that meant.

"It would cover all my expenses such as rent, groceries, tuition, books, bills, food, and other necessities. All of that eats up my money pretty quick." I guess that made sense.

"I see. So tell me about your past jobs that gave you the 'good people skills' you claim to have," I implored as I leaned against the greeting cards stand with my arms crossed nonchalantly. I wanted proof and examples.

"I used to work in restaurants doing practically everything, and I had to be warm and friendly. It was easy with my nature, and I would strike up conversations with the customers and socialize with them while I got their stuff. They seemed to enjoy it."

"How did you make those jobs interesting?" That was the part that interested me most. I knew she liked challenges for herself, but the work also tended to get very monotonous, as I knew only too well. She just seemed like a cure of some sort.

"Well, I would have endurance challenges for myself and also entertain the guests at the same time. I remember one time I was doing the soda fountains and I was bored, so I came up with nicknames, bartender style, for all the sodas and drinks, depending on the season or holiday. It made the guests and my coworkers laugh. It also helped move the line along a bit." I couldn't help laughing at what she had just said. Now that was something I'd never heard before! Oh God, that was a good one.

"Seriously?"

"Yup. I'm serious. I did. Being amusing helped keep me cheerful and sane," She was serious…wow…that was…interesting. I wonder how she'd try to make my work fun for her. I wondered if she could show me how to do that.

"And I have to admit, I was impressed at how quickly you were able to get all those papers sorted, even if you didn't quite finish in time. You were pretty close and did pretty well for the circumstances," I admitted. Well, at least that knowledge was off my chest now. She needed to know that.

"Thank you, but close don't count, only in horseshoes and hand grenades," I laughed again at the modesty and the phrase. Wow, usually I couldn't get away from girls who hyperbolized themselves to no end to point out "why I should pick them over any other girl," but Misty highlighted how different she was yet again.

"A bit of a perfectionist, aren't you?" I asked while chuckling.

"Not exactly. I'll do my best to meet my goals and challenges, but I will never be anywhere NEAR perfect…not in a million years. Only God is perfect," I was quite astounded by her modesty, and she did have a point.

"I suppose you're right," I concurred.

"Thank you," Misty responded calmly. Well, she wasn't so bad after all.

"So, are you dependable?" I was very tempted to hire her now, but I asked her directly to make sure I wouldn't make a mistake. It probably was a stupid question, but she was honest and modest, so actually it was a suitable question for her.

"Yep. I'm on time and work hard. I take work seriously even though I like to make it fun. I'll do whatever is necessary to do and even look for things to do, without complaining unless absolutely necessary. I have an independent streak that makes me do everything I can as independently as possible before I even think about asking for help." Just as I thought. I nodded approvingly as I saw the truth in those intense brown eyes of hers as she made direct, lasting eye contact with me. That's it! She got the job!

"Alright, when are you available to work?"

"Well, I have class everyday except Fridays in the morning. I can come to work at about 10 or 11 a.m. or so, and Fridays I can work all day, and weekends too, if necessary," She explained.

"That sounds like a decent schedule. Why 11 though?" I would've thought 10 might've been more reasonable.

"It depends on how soon the bus can get there. I said 10 or 11 to give me that window of time." The bus? That sounded like it would be too much of a hassle.

"Where do you go to school?"

"I'm going to Academie Domino." How convenient!

"Really? I go there too. I suppose I could give you a ride from school in the limo. I take morning classes too and if I hire you, I don't want to regret it, and you did say you were on time and dependable. I don't want to be lied to. I figure since we have the same time of classes and go to the same school, it makes sense if I give you a ride without worrying about the bus getting you there on time. Besides, if you're going to be my assistant, you need to make me look good. I don't think having my P.A. ride the bus when I need something is a good idea, especially if I need things done fast. And how would that look on me anyways if my assistant is riding the bus?" I explained as I offered her a ride.

"Okay…well…thank you…" I could tell she was a bit surprised about the offer and seemed reluctant to accept it. She really was stubborn and steel-headed.

"So, what questions do you have for me?" Everything else was just icing now.

"Um…what exactly will I be doing?"

"Well, you'll be helping with paperwork for sure and helping to sort, file, and organize them, some data entry, running errands if necessary, assisting me with projects, traveling with me and my brother in our limo and jets, and helping me with clients at social functions. Any other questions?"

"Um…what are the perks?" Were these the best she could come up with? These were so typical!

"Well you have a good health and dental plan, one month's worth of vacation time after 6 months- use it well, I'm pretty flexible with time…I guess…, and when we do travel or go to a social function, you don't really have to worry about paying for anything really. All I need you to do is just be my assistant. Clear?"

"Crystal," She answered briskly and quickly.

"Alright, congratulations- you're my assistant. Don't screw this up. You start Monday." As I had said that, it felt like the weight of the world had lifted from my shoulders. I just hope I was doing the right thing. I couldn't wait for her to get to work!

"I don't plan to screw up. Thank you, very much," Misty said with a courteous bow and shook my hand with her famous Texan grip and felt the spark again. Weird. Why? I couldn't explain it. Was I feeling something for her? Impossible! I mentally scoffed at the idea. However, why couldn't I stop thinking about her and wanting to hire her? After the impromptu interview in the greeting card aisle and she started pushing her cart again, I decided since I didn't want to go to the office again knowing the only thing that would occupy my time would've been more interviews. That wasn't necessary now! Thank God! As I followed her, I could tell she was feeling awkward.

"So, out of curiosity, what made you decide to come to the grocery store and talk to me?" She asked as she got out milk from behind the glass door in the dairy section. Could she be any blunter?

"I saw you get off the bus in front of the store as I passed by in the limo, and I figured it would be a good time to talk," I explained. Sheesh! What was this, twenty questions? The fact was I caught her, finally.

"I see…" Misty replied and idly rearranged the stuff in her cart and I couldn't help peeking at what she was getting out of curiosity…though I could tell it made her uncomfortable.

"I decided to walk with you now to get to know you a little. If you're going to be my P.A., I have to know you well and trust you. I can't trust a stranger," That was just my cover. I was thoroughly curious about her and why she caused that spark.

"I guess…" She replied as she pushed the cart down the paper towel aisle and she grew even more uncomfortable with all the eyes staring at the two of us. Great. This was going to be on the cover of the tabloids- me grocery shopping with a mysterious woman. I could see the headlines now. Oh well.

"So, tell me about yourself," I prompted.

"What do you want to know?" She didn't even look at me but kept her eyes on the merchandise. Maybe she would be good at handling this tabloid aspect of being near me.

"Alright, what are you majoring in?" I asked casually to get things going.

"Well, Pre-Med. I'm planning to be a pharmacist, and you?" Misty answered nonchalantly as she started to meander through the pets' aisle and smiled fondly. What was she smiling about?

"I'm majoring in Business," I replied and watched her as she picked frozen foods out.

"That doesn't surprise me."

"So, do you duel?" I had been curious about that since I found the Wingweaver on the floor, and I was curious how good she might be.

"No, I don't. I never got how to play and never got into it. Wingweaver is the only card I have. I can't afford to buy them either. My brother got a deck for his birthday and he gave me her," She answered and smiled. That was a nice story and reminded me of Mokuba. So THAT's why I felt the pulse a couple days ago.

"I see…you'll have to learn. I can't have a P.A. who doesn't know anything about dueling. A lot of the projects I'll likely have you help work on involve dueling. It wouldn't look good at all if you appeared useless in that sense," I added. She glared contemptuously at me as if I had mocked her just now.

"Alright, I'll learn, but lucky you, you get to teach me because you're the one who's so damn worried about it," she retorted and then chuckled. "What would you do if I beat you in dueling?" Oh God! That was the funniest thing I had EVER heard!

"That's hilarious. It'll never happen!" I declared. "You're hilarious," I told her as if it were official. She merely shrugged.

"Answer my question. What would you do if I beat you? And never say never. They said the Titanic will never sink, and look what happened to it." Whoa. She was gutsy to challenge me like that.

"Then the world will come to an end as we know it- a novice beating me," I couldn't help roaring with laughter. "If that were the case, I'd be VERY impressed, and you'll be helping a lot."

"And how do you expect me to get the cards? I told you I can't really afford them," She retorted. Bah! That was easily taken care of.

"I suppose you can use some of the cards I have. I have most of them," I offered. She WAS special. The ONLY person I would even think to offer lessons or cards to would be Mokuba.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. I'll duel only if it makes me useful," She accepted humbly. Well, she didn't have a choice now.

"I'm curious to see how you duel though."

"So, moving on, tell me about your brother and your family. You seem very close to your brother," I prompted. The sibling bond was obvious, but I was curious how she acted with the rest of her family.

"Yes, I love him to pieces…when he's not annoying me. He's so protective of me, particularly for a 12 year-old," She responded fondly with a snicker.

"He's 12 too? So is my brother Mokuba."

"Cool. They seem like they'll get along famously. I'm sure Wes, my brother, would love to hang out with Mokuba. I can see Wes inviting him to our birthday party in March…if I manage to get home for it." Oh, I could arrange that.

"When in March?" I asked curiously.

"The last week. March is a HUGE birthday month in my family. My brother and I are 2 days apart. He's the 24th, I'm the 26th," Wow…what a busy month. I couldn't help but remember her birth date. I didn't know why, but it was etched on my brain now.

"I'll bet Mokuba would enjoy going," I replied and genuinely thought about Mokuba enjoying this party of hers and her brother's. Her brother sounded pretty cool and that Mokuba would have a new, good friend and he could always use a new friend who wasn't Yugi or any of the dweebs Yugi hung out with.

"Cool, well, I guess we'll have to play that by ear then," she remarked. We continued chatting here and there about random things that were relatively important. Each new fact also tied in with work to some degree, and I asked about her skills. I was impressed to know she could speak some Spanish and was incredibly creative and artistic. Excellent! She could take this to a new plane being able to translate to potential Spanish-speaking clients and adding a new touch of creativity to what I already had.

When it came time to pay for the groceries, she loaded everything on the belt and watched the total add up. She was dismayed to see she was about $20 short on her groceries and would be forced to put something she might have needed badly back. The look in her brown eyes was a little haunting. She bit her lip making the decision and was instructing the cashier to put some items behind the counter to be put back, but before he had a chance to, I stopped him. I couldn't let her do that. "I'll give you the difference you need," I whispered to her privately. She obviously couldn't believe it, and neither could everyone else, and she sighed reluctantly after a moment.

"Okay…thank…y-y-you…" she whispered back. "I'll pay you back, I swear," she promised hurriedly.

"No, just…don't worry about it…" I insisted. I didn't want her feeling that way, especially if she was so proud to have accepted the help I gave her in the first place. Wow…she and I were so alike. She paid the cashier and grabbed her green bags and started waddling out of the store like a penguin. It was kind of funny watching it at first, but I was impressed at her self-reliance. I tried to take a few bags and carry them for her, but she resisted.

"I'll be fine!" Misty insisted and saw the bus coming just as lightning flashed and thunder boomed and it just started raining. Oh no…worse…we were about a 100 yards away from the bus stop. "SHIT!" She cursed loudly in anger and tried to run for the bus. As luck would have it, one of her bags slipped out of her hand and spilled the contents. I watched as she frantically tried to pick up the contents and tried to keep running vainly as the bus left. "NOT AGAIN!" Misty snarled and sat on the ground in frustration. I went over to her side.

"Do you need a ride?" I offered kindly, which was very uncharacteristic of me. She obviously needed it. I felt bad for her. I couldn't let her just wait in the storm with her groceries and she was obviously having a bad day, let alone probably a week.

"…If you don't mind…" she replied hesitantly as she got up and let me carry some of her bags to the limo that pulled up. I opened the trunk and put them in there and closed it once she had put her bags in.

I opened the door and politely waited for her to get in, but she hesitated. Hey, it wasn't like I was going to attack her or anything. I followed her in.

"Thanks…I'll…have to…pay you…back…someday…" She babbled reluctantly. Again?

"No…just don't…don't worry about it. I don't like people owing me favors, nor do I like owing them either. Don't think about it," I answered sternly. I just wanted her to drop it already and just take it for what it was. I noticed her shivering and her trying to hide it. I might as well extend the olive branch even further, so I turned the heat on so she'd stop.

"Thanks…" She replied tightly and politely. At least I knew she wouldn't blab to the whole world about my acts of kindness - her pride wouldn't let her. I got her address and told Edward where to go.

"Hey, do you mind if we pick up my brother from school before I drop you off?" I asked nonchalantly and watched her shrug with the same attitude.

"That's fine." I told Edward to go to Mokuba's school first and we continued to chat here and there about random things, mostly about what San Antonio was like. She seemed a bit more relaxed when she talked about her hometown and she was OBVIOUSLY very proud of where she was from. I had to admit I was a bit curious and fascinated the way she talked about it. It was also nice to see that pleasant side she talked about having. We arrived at Mokuba's school and he came in with a smile and sat next to me.

"Hey Seto!" He greeted happily and hugged me.

"Hey Mokuba," I greeted with a smile, not caring if she saw. "So, how was school?"

"It was fun! We got to dissect frogs in science class!" Mokuba said excitedly and told me all about his exciting day in school and then saw Misty. "Hey Seto, who's this?"

"Hi, I'm Misty Robinson," Misty introduced herself with a friendly smile and a hand offered for a handshake.

"She's our new assistant," I whispered in his ear, almost completely audibly.

"Oh! Hi, I'm Mokuba," Mokuba introduced himself with a smile and shook her hand. "Oh, wow, you have a strong grip," He remarked.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," She replied with a smile.

"So, where are you from?" Mokuba asked her curiously. I watched the two of them talking as if they were old friends and listened as she described San Antonio to him and saying that he and I would love it there.

"You seem so sure," I remarked smugly. I'd like to see that happen. She was promising a lot.

"It's been known to happen to most everyone who does come. People come from miles around, and even around the world. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourselves." She challenged.

"Maybe we will," I retorted and continued watching the conversation. We arrived at her complex and I was a little shocked to see she was living in such a tenement like this.

"Well, welcome to my humble abode," Misty announced modestly. "Thanks for the ride," She remarked and got out into the pouring rain and tapped the trunk to get her groceries. I immediately got out too to help her and lifted the trunk.

"I can help you carry these up," I offered, and then Mokuba appeared too. She was so surprised. I might as well offer. She had a lot to carry and waddled like a penguin out the store and made a disastrous attempt to run with those heavy bags to catch the bus, and the rain did make the pavement slippery.

"Okay, thanks," she replied as she fished her keys out of her purse and attached the spring hook to her belt loop and got a few bags, walking carefully with her load while Mokuba and I followed closely behind up to her apartment on the stairs and watched her unlock the door. "I can take it from here. Thank y'all so much," She told us gratefully as she nudged the door open with her foot and started to get everything inside. I glanced into her dark apartment just briefly out of curiosity, but was snapped to the present when she bade, "See y'all Monday…thanks again." With that, she shut the door and locked it. Mokuba and I went back to the limo and headed back to Kaiba Corp to finish a few things. Once inside, Mokuba grinned.

"Good pick, Seto. I can see why you almost hired her the first time too," He remarked.

"I'm glad you think so. Finally! We can relax!" I sighed relieved.

"Yes!" Mokuba cheered and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "So, you seem to like her," he pointed out.

"Hey, I'm only keeping a professional relationship with her," I protested.

"Right…you were watching her the whole time she and I were talking, you offered her a ride and to help her out with her groceries. You'd just walk on by, scoff, and say something sarcastic to anybody who asked you for help. If those aren't signs you like her, what is?" Mokuba pointed out with a smug smirk. I rolled my eyes at him a little and chuckled and playfully punched his shoulder.

"It's not like I'm planning to marry her. I just like how she isn't afraid to stand up to me and has a backbone, she is creative, and I do like her self-pride," I admitted. "She's also classier than the…others…" I said as tactfully as I could.

"Does she duel?" Mokuba asked.

"Nope, but I'm going to teach her and loan her some of my cards," I announced. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped in complete surprise.

"How did she get you to do that?" He exclaimed.

"Actually, I was the one that got her into it. She told me she refused to duel because she didn't have a deck- just the one card, and that she wasn't into it. I only got her to agree to learn in the sense it would make her more useful, and she told me I was going to teach her because I was so worried about it," I imitated Misty on the last part.

"Wow…" Mokuba remarked in surprise. I explained everything I had learned about her and he listened intently, even on the way up to the office. He seemed all excited about meeting her brother someday. There was so much work and I should have made her start tomorrow, but I suppose Monday was fine; I wasn't as bothered by the work load today as I had been since I hired her. We finished work and then went home and spent time together doing brotherly things for once, instead of continuing working right after dinner. Finally! Things were looking up!

I had no doubt she would be strong enough to handle the work load she was going to help me with. That night, for the first time in a while, I was able to sleep restfully. It was funny how this woman changed my outlook so dramatically and got me to do things no one else could without meaning to. I had to be careful around her or who knows what she'd do to me?


	2. First Day

Monday after my first day of class…

I walked out of my chemistry class with my new pals chatting about plans for Friday night and about the homework assignment; we were so busy talking I didn't notice I bumped into someone.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry," I apologized politely.

"You should watch where you're going," a familiar gruff voice scolded me. I looked up and saw Mr. Kaiba's serious face. I pursed my lips.

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want?" I asked exasperated. I sighed and calmed down remembering my manners. "Mr. Kaiba, these are my friends, Allison, Evelyn, and Isabel. Girls, this is my boss, Mr. Kaiba," I introduced politely. He nodded in acknowledgment to my friends.

"We need to hurry up and get to work. Come on," He stated and grabbed my wrist and started leading me away. I was surprised at first and once he dragged me away a few feet, I dug my heels and pulled my arm back and he was surprised when he leaned backwards at my resistance. He let me go and then towered over me glaring.

"What's your problem?" He asked with surprisingly calm irritation.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own. You don't need to drag me," I answered coolly. I wasn't fazed by his expression. He stared me down a few seconds and then scoffed and started walking. I caught up to him and walked at his side silently to the limo. He opened the door and gestured for me to get in. I sighed a little. I still wasn't totally used to riding in a limo since I only rode in them just a few times before, but whatever; I was going to have to get used to it.

"Sometime today would be nice," Mr. Kaiba stated impatiently. I looked at him with narrowed eyes and got in with him following me.

"Could it have taken you any longer?" He tore into me.

"Patience is a virtue. For your information, I'm a little nervous and not used to riding in limos," I retorted sarcastically. Mr. Kaiba just rolled his eyes. I narrowed my eyes at him and turned to stare out the window.

"Look at me," he commanded. I curiously obeyed.

"You promised me dependability. I don't need backsass from you," He commanded, his icy blue eyes boring into my blazing brown eyes.

"Hey, you seemed to like my blunt personality enough to hire me and follow me around the grocery store, let alone give me a second chance. I told you I'm going to tell you straight up what's going on," I reminded him. He stared a few minutes more trying to get me to crack under his scrutinizing eyes. Alright, if he wanted a staring contest, he's got one. I stared back at him waiting for him to blink. He looked away scoffing and then looked back at me a few minutes later calmer but still irritated and then told me exactly what we were working on today.

"We have a few meetings to do today and lots of paperwork to do. When do you intend to start learning how to duel?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"When do you intend to teach me then?" I retorted back.

"We'll do that Saturday then. Does that work for you?" He asked rhetorically. I knew I would have no choice in the matter.

"I suppose," I shrugged nonchalantly and stared out the window. When we got to Kaiba Corp., I noticed he was really harsh and hostile to other employees we passed by. I was shocked at how he treated them and I was worried he'd treat me just like them. He seemed to like me better, but the way he acted made me think otherwise. I felt so sorry for this one employee who was obviously very flustered as it was and when we passed by, he accidentally dropped his papers startled and Mr. Kaiba snapped at him with words that gave me chills too. In the meetings, he even had a stone cold glare as he listened to the presenters with product ideas and those from other companies wishing to align themselves with Kaiba Corp. He was ruthless and icy alright.

When it was time to do paperwork, I put on my CD player to cheer me up while I worked and sorted papers to my game I had started. I heard Selena's cumbia medley playing and then started doing the basic cumbia step and singing along to it while sorting. I had finished the song and I felt Mr. Kaiba yank down my headphones from my head.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" I yelped irritably. He glared.

"You're hindering me from my work dancing and singing like that!" He snapped.

"How so?" I retorted with an even voice and my arms crossed.

"You're distracting me," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Hey, you said I could work my way," I reminded him. He glared harder, and stormed out of the office grouchily and went to get a coffee. On the way out, he snapped at more employees. I narrowed my eyes at this irritably. Strike two. Looks like I was going to have to intervene. He thrust another big stack of papers at me and went back to his desk. I turned on a different song and worked to that. Halfway through, he yanked the headphones off again and turned it off.

"Time to go to another meeting," I sighed and put my CD player away and followed him. We got to a meeting with a shy, young businessman with a product idea. We listened to his ideas, and I was shocked and appalled when Mr. Kaiba tore him down to nothing after it.

"THAT'S NO GOOD! GET OUT AND TAKE THIS CRAPPY IDEA WITH YOU!" My eyes widened in disbelief. I couldn't believe this! Was this job worth staying on if I had to watch and sometimes take his abuse? I was determined not to give up even if my boss was psychotic. Maybe I could take some of that anger away somehow? But he'd have to be willing to let it happen. I remembered later after that meeting, I was still a little shaken up having watched him destroy that poor man so heartlessly, so I made an error and mixed up a couple places with similar names in the paperwork.

"What the hell?" Mr. Kaiba snapped when he saw it. "Misty, what is the meaning of this? This was supposed to go here, not there."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to mess up," I replied genuinely apologetic and stared into his eyes expecting to see that harsh edge he had to everyone else who messed up. Surprisingly, his eyes were just a bit softer. He narrowed his eyes a bit and looked away.

"Don't let it happen again!" He commanded. Okay, that was weird. He bit the heads off of other people who messed up, but with me, he just gave me that stern warning. What gives?

We went to get Mokuba from school, and I noticed how he was a lot more relaxed with Mokuba. He really brought out the best of him.

"How was school Mokuba?" Mr. Kaiba asked kindly.

"It was great Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed brightly and gave a detailed description of his day.

"That sounds like an awesome day, Mokuba," I said with a cheery smile and conversed gaily with him. He was such a bright boy, and he reminded me of my brother.

"How's your first day going Misty?" Mokuba asked hopefully.

"Well, it's a bit surprising. I hadn't expected to be caught in such a whirlwind of emotions," I replied, giving a backhanded reference to Mr. Kaiba. He was struggling between seething and staying calm in front of his brother.

"What?" Mokuba asked in surprise and looked to his brother. "Seto, please be nice to her. We can't scare her off and go back to searching for an assistant again! Please!" Mokuba pleaded, his big grey eyes getting bigger. Mr. Kaiba and I blinked in surprise, but I saw him acquiesce to his brother's request almost too easily with a nod.

"Um, thank you Mokuba," I said awkwardly. He beamed at me with a big smile that was VERY contagious. It was so contagious, Mr. Kaiba and I both smiled back at him and I could see his ice-wall come down in the limo. I now knew that he lived for the happiness of his brother above all else. When we got back to Kaiba Corp, I noticed a definite change in both of them- an ice wall built up again around both of them as we walked through the doors and back to his office. Mr. Kaiba seemed less likely to blow up at employees with Mokuba around.

In between doing work, I noticed Mokuba was struggling a little on his homework, so I finished and put my CD player away and went up to him. Mr. Kaiba was too busy arguing on the phone to do anything.

"Need help Mokuba?" I asked with a kind smile. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Sure! I'd love the help!" I sat down on the floor Indian style next to him.

"What do you need help with?" I asked.

"I'm kind of stuck on Math, Science, and English," he replied.

"What exactly are you stuck on?" I inquired.

"I'm stuck on slopes of lines, genetics, and I need to edit a story for grammar. Could you review it for me?"

"Certainly!" I exclaimed and walked him through each subject slow enough for him to get it. He felt so relaxed and relieved once we had finished. I finished up another stack and got to work on my homework too.

"College work seems tough," Mokuba remarked as he peeked over my work.

"Nah, it's not that tough," I replied and kept working and chatted with him once I finished.

"Let's go, time to take you home," Mr. Kaiba announced as he got up from his chair stiffly. Obediently, I got my bag and my purse and then waited for him to lock up his office and followed him down to the limo and resumed conversing with Mokuba as Mr. Kaiba watched. They dropped me off of just below my apartment and watched me walk upstairs to my apartment and unlock my door before they left. I went down the hall to get my mail and then made dinner, puzzling over how Mr. Kaiba acted today. It bothered me a little and I had to find a way to help. I had to get my textbooks at the bookstore, so after dinner I hopped on the bus to the nearest bookstore and found my textbooks. Eeep. The total cost a LOT, even with USED books. I passed by the health section and the famous _ for Dummies yellow covers caught my eye. My eyes roved over the signature yellow covers until I found Anger Management for Dummies. I snickered to myself and toyed with the idea of buying it for Mr. Kaiba and giving it to him when the time was right; that shouldn't be TOO long from now. I snickered as I pictured him finding the book on his desk and blowing up. I couldn't stifle a chuckle fast enough. Oh, I was SOOO getting it for him! I picked the book up and carried it to the register with the big bag of textbooks weighing me down. I bought the book and put it in the bag with the receipt and caught the bus home. Once I got home, I set the bag of textbooks on my bed and took the Dummies book out. I scoured my closet for some gift bags and couldn't find them. I found the business pages and the funny pages of the papers. I wrapped the funnies around the book first and then the business pages and then made a little bow on top. I snickered as I put it in my little rolling overnight bag for class before going to bed.

I went to class in a cheery mood the next morning and was on top of my game. I saw him waiting outside my classroom on the bench and he rose when I came out.

"We've got a lot to do and no time to waste. Come on," he commanded gruffly. I practically had springs in my steps as I walked next to him, and I could tell he was gawking at me. "You're in a cheerful mood," He pointed out.

"Yup!" I chirped.

"What's going on?"

"What, I can't be happy just because?" I retorted with harder eyes.

"Alright, alright," He replied backing off. He kept watching me with curious eyes.

"Take a picture it will last longer," I retorted sarcastically after a few minutes of staring. He looked away a moment but kept glancing back wondering what was up with me. It was amusing how he was so confused. We got to Kaiba Corp and his ice wall returned. Why? Why couldn't he just be relaxed and free and be a cool boss, but not like this?

I was so sure of my "gift" a few hours later as I watched him snap more heads off than a serial decapitator, or a bridezilla on a rampage. While he went to get coffee, I dug his gift out of my bag and put it on his desk and went back to work to wait for the show.

He came back and set the Styrofoam coffee cup on his desk and jumped slightly when he saw the gift.

"What's this?" He asked as he picked it up.

"Looks like a present to me," I retorted sarcastically. He was speechless with surprise.

"I know that! Who left it?" He demanded. "There's no tag on it! It must be from a damned fangirl!"

"Fangirl? Ha! If a fangirl would've left it, don't you think they'd WANT you to know it was from her?" He stared wide-eyed. I sighed exasperated. "It's from me. Open it and stop freaking out," I said rolling my eyes. He seemed even more surprised, and then he tore off the business pages and gasped a little when he saw funnies and shredded that paper. Okay, he obviously didn't like cartoons with the way he shredded it. I saw him gape open-mouthed at the book.

"Close your mouth. You'll catch flies," I scolded him lightly and lightly tapped his jaw. He then glared at me and slammed it down.

"I DO NOT HAVE AN ANGER MANAGEMENT PROBLEM!" He snarled. I glared back with venom.

"I rest my case. You should read it. You don't want to have a heart attack and leave Mokuba ALONE and to fend for himself, do you?" I taunted. I had him cornered. He glared at me speechless. "I thought so." I heard a low growl escape from him and he turned away and turned his chair to face away from me. Even when we went to pick up Mokuba, he still kept trying to ignore me.

"Hey Seto!" Mokuba greeted but was stopped short as he saw Mr. Kaiba trying to ignore me as best as possible.

"Hey Mokuba," He greeted calmly, but kept his eyes away.

"What's wrong big bro?" Mokuba asked worriedly and sat in front of his big brother to get him to talk to him.

"I'm pissed with Misty," Mr. Kaiba explained and gave me a glare. I rolled my eyes.

"God you're petty," I retorted and got another deep growl from him.

"Why?" Mokuba asked confused and worried. Mr. Kaiba thrust the Dummies book at him irritably. Mokuba saw it and tried to stifle laughter but failed. Mr. Kaiba looked at him irritably.

"Misty, you really gave him this book?" Mokuba asked while laughing. I laughed too. It felt nice to laugh with someone over the joke.

"Yes sir I did," I replied with a cheeky grin. "I even wrapped it in the funnies and the business pages for him too," I beamed. Mokuba kept laughing and was a bit more serious.

"She does have a point, Seto," Mokuba began. We both stared at him in surprise. "All that anger isn't good for you. I don't want to lose you because you're angry all the time," He added and used his always powerful grey eyes on him. I gaped at him in surprise.

"I said the same thing!" I remarked to Mokuba in surprise. We continued to talk and it was just about a repeat of yesterday.

Saturday came and I waited outside for Mr. Kaiba to pick me up to teach me how to duel. I held the Wingweaver card in my hand and tried to boost my confidence with it. I had no idea what to do with dueling. I was completely lost. I glanced down at the parking lot and saw the black limo pull up. I swung my purse onto my shoulders after making sure the door was locked and practically ran down the stairs. Edward got out and opened the door for me.

"Thanks Edward," I told him with an appreciative smile as I got in and he closed the door behind me.

"Buenos Dias, Señor Kaiba," I greeted with a big smile. He looked at me weird.

"¿Tienes una problema si hablo español?"(Do you have a problem if I speak Spanish?) I asked in Spanish just to annoy him.

"English please," He requested with a hard edge to his voice and his eyes narrowed.

"¿Porque? Necesitas aprender español. Quiero hablar en español hoy," (Why? You need to learn Spanish. I feel like speaking in Spanish today.) I grinned at him cheekily with a mischievous glint.

"Talk. English. Please," Mr. Kaiba demanded.

"No," I grinned wider. He tried talking to me the rest of the way to Kaiba Corp., but I kept responding in Spanish. He looked like he was going to blow a gasket. I almost choked on my laughter as I continued. We got out of the limo and he led me to his card library.

"I'll loan you some cards since you obviously can't be bothered to buy them yet," Mr. Kaiba said and showed them to me. "Guard them with your life," he commanded with a foreboding tone. I saluted him with a hand at my temple. "Si Si, Capítan." I then carefully looked at the cards. "Ooooh! Me gustan esas, esas, y estas tarjetas allí!" I exclaimed pointing out the cards that felt right and suited Wingweaver well. He got them out and handed them to me in a card case that I put for safekeeping in my purse. He led me down to his practice arena and had me stand at a platform while he took the other and started the duel. We dueled all afternoon and I was finally starting to get the hang of it. I lost a few in the beginning, but once I started getting it, I was actually beating him since I knew his strategies so well after all these times.

"Good. You seem to understand," He remarked neutrally. "I'm impressed."

"Gracias." I replied with a bright, beaming smile, resuming my Spanish. I heard him sigh in exasperation. I shrugged my shoulders. "¿Qué esperas? Soy de Tejas. Está al lado de México. La Mayor parte de tejanos saben el español. (What do you expect? I'm from Texas. It's next to Mexico. Most Texans know Spanish.)" I replied and he growled in exasperation and sighed.

"Why can't you just speak English?" He complained.

"Te dije ya. Prefiero hablar español hoy, (I told you already. I prefer to speak Spanish today.)" I answered.

"Monday you better be speaking English again," he commanded irritably.

"¿Y si no quiero a?" (And if I don't want to?) I challenged.

"I'll fire you if you don't," He threatened.

"No no prometiste Mokuba tu no no," (No no, you promised Mokuba you wouldn't) I warned. "¿No quieres guardarlo feliz? (Don't you want to keep him happy?)" I challenged. He growled again and decided to shut up. A few minutes later, the limo pulled below my apartment. "See you Monday. Speak English, Please," Mr. Kaiba bade and watched me go up. I unlocked my door and went in, closing the door, and plopped on the couch to veg. That was fun today.

~Seto's POV~

My alarm clock buzzed about 5 a.m. and I groggily switched it off and turned the lamp on and blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light. Strangely, I felt excited for today. I sat up in bed and wondered what was so exciting about today, especially since it was a Monday. Monday…Monday…why did it feel so familiar? Oh right…Misty was starting today. Why was I excited? Just then as I tried to figure out why I was excited, her face appeared in my mind. Very, very peculiar. I shook my head to rid myself of the nonsense of her being in my head and thankfully it went away. I got showered and ready to go and starting getting Mokuba up and ready for school. I started getting something going for our breakfast and chatted with Mokuba.

"So Seto, Misty is going to start today," Mokuba stated casually. Damn. He had to bring her up, and just when I got her to stay out of my head too. She was just my assistant for crying out loud! But…she was completely different from ANY woman I met before. I had never met a woman like her before.

"Yes, she is," I agreed coolly.

"I hope she does well," Mokuba added.

"I trust she will, that's why I hired her," I replied.

"I can't wait to see her," Mokuba said with a lit-up smile. I had never seen him take to anybody this fast before, nor had I for that matter. We continued to talk until it was time for him to go to school, and I got into the limo when it had returned from Mokuba's school and went to campus. I instructed Edward not to go too far and to be back by 10 to bring me and Misty to work. I got my schedule out and went looking for the building and the class I was supposed to be in. I found it about 20 minutes later and saw there were a few people inside already, as was the professor. The professor gave me a syllabus and checked my name off the roll sheet. When the other classmates came in and after the professor talked about the syllabus, he had us introduce ourselves to our classmates, and then started talking about our first project. Great…group work…I hated group work…Why? Because one person tended taking all the work…involuntarily…and then they got the credit. I stayed in my seat as my classmates went about choosing their group, and of course, I was the first to be chosen…great….

"Alright guys, we should exchange numbers," One girl, "Charlotte," suggested, eying me in particular, batting her light blue eyes at me and twirling her platinum hair around her fingers. I reluctantly gave my number to them then glared at them.

"Alright, let's get some particulars here. I'm VERY busy and I don't have time to talk to any of you peons…unless it is about the project or meeting ONLY for the project. If you call for social chatter, I WILL hang up on you. For the second particular, you all WILL do your fair share. If you don't, I WILL tell the professor and I will get the A while all of you get the Fs you deserve. Got it?" I demanded, giving them all a hard glare. They agreed to my terms and then class was over. I then went to the registrar and bribed them to give me Misty's schedule and found her class. She was still in, so I sat on the bench next to the door and waited for 5 minutes before the class started coming out chatting amongst themselves. I stood and waited for Misty to come out and she finally did while chatting with 3 female classmates. I stood there and she walked right into me.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry," she apologized politely and then looked up. I stared stonily back into her chocolate brown eyes.

"You should watch where you're going," I scolded gruffly and she pursed her lips annoyed. I wasn't fazed by her expression.

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want?" she asked exasperated and then sighed and calmed down remembering her manners. Her mood changes were very strange and quite unexpected, and if she couldn't control them- bound to be VERY annoying. "Mr. Kaiba, these are my friends, Allison, Evelyn, and Isabel. Girls, this is my boss, Mr. Kaiba," she introduced politely and I nodded politely to acknowledge the introduction, but we had to go to work now and we were burning daylight standing here.

"We need to hurry up and get to work. Come on," I commanded coolly and grabbed her wrist and started leading her away to get a move on. I dragged her a little bit and then was surprised when she resisted and leaned back and wouldn't budge and I had to catch myself from falling on her. I let her hand go and then towered over her glaring.

"What's your problem?" I asked with cool irritation. Her attitude was really starting to piss me off.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own. You don't need to drag me," she retorted unfazed by my glare. In fact, she challenged me with her own glare. I stared her down a few seconds and then scoffed and started walking; I didn't have time nor the patience to be butting heads with her and her attitude. If she wanted to act this way, I could leave her behind. There went my excitement down the drain. Wisely, she decided to catch up to me and walked silently by my side to the limo. I opened the door for her and gestured for her to get in. Annoyingly, she hesitated for a couple minutes. My patience was really starting to wear thin now.

"Sometime today would be nice," I demanded impatiently. Defiantly, she glared at me with narrowed eyes and got in with me getting in after her.

"Could it have taken you any longer?" I snapped irritably at her.

"Patience is a virtue. For your information, I'm a little nervous and not used to riding in limos," Misty backsassed me. I rolled my eyes at her and she stared out the window. She looked like she wanted to jump out or was wondering why she accepted this job now.

"Look at me," I commanded and wouldn't you know it, she listened for once! Wow!

"You promised me dependability. I don't need backsass from you," I hissed and tried to get her to crack under my famous icy stare that bent people to my will. My eyes met her fiery, defiant brown eyes, and she was not cracking. She was the only one who dared to challenge me, and there was nothing I could do. I had been hoping my signature icy stare would have worked, but now I didn't really have anything.

"Hey, you seemed to like my blunt personality enough to hire me and follow me around the grocery store, let alone give me a second chance. I told you I'm going to tell you straight up what's going on," Misty retorted. I continued glaring at her, but she glared back unblinkingly, like the two of us were in a staring contest. Forget that! I don't have time for stupid games like these. I looked away scoffing at her childish efforts letting her win her stupid game.

"_Calm down, Seto," I thought. "She's not worth the aggravation or the headache," I added mentally. _

"_True, but she's right, you did like her enough to follow her and give her a second chance, so maybe she is. Maybe the kick she's giving you is a good thing," my inner self argued. "She also was right about speaking what was on her mind," my inner self added. Maybe he did have a point._ All I had were employees who did my bidding unquestionably and usually were very scared of me. Misty did have a mind of her own, but I still don't appreciate the way she was giving me backsass. I calmed myself down a little and then turned to her and explained what we had to do today.

"We have a few meetings to do today and lots of paperwork to do. When do you intend to start learning how to duel?" I asked. The sooner she knew how to duel, the more help she could be.

"When do you intend to teach me then?" She fired back.

"We'll do that Saturday then. Does that work for you?" I replied. She curled her lip like she didn't like it, but had no say in the matter anyways.

"I suppose," she shrugged nonchalantly and stared out the window. At least she was calmer now. I wondered if she was going to be this stubborn when I try to teach her how to duel. If that was so, this was going to be a pain in the ass. When we got to Kaiba Corp., the relative calm that passed the last few minutes in the limo on the way here was destroyed; there were so many people acting incompetently. For example, one employee who was obviously was incompetent dropped the stack of papers he was carrying like a driveling idiot when we passed by. I demanded he get this mess cleaned up and that he should stop acting like an idiot and learn to carry papers a better way, and to stay out of my way. We went to our meetings and I was incredibly annoyed with some of the brown-nosing other CEOs with crappy ideas and the schmoozing they did to try to ally themselves with my company. Not in this lifetime. After the god-awful meetings were over, I took Misty back to my office. She started working on paperwork and then put on a CD player and started sorting papers to her music. Then, she started singing along in a foreign language and started dancing and shaking her hips to the music. Was she acting like the stupid fangirls and doing this to get my attention? If she was, I did not appreciate that gesture, but then again she was completely oblivious to my watching. I couldn't stop watching and focusing on my work because I was so drawn to watching the way she danced and listening to her singing. I let her finish her song before I got up and yanked the headphones down off her head so she could hear me. If she was going to distract me like that, I'd NEVER get any work done, and time is money.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" She yelped irritably. I glared back when she gave me the attitude.

"_What'd you expect? Did you think she'd honestly like that? Don't you think it hurt? You could've easily just tapped her shoulder instead of yanking her headphones like that. How would you like it?" My inner voice scolded me. I brushed it off like it was merely an annoying fly. _

"You're hindering me from my work dancing and singing like that!" I snapped, still irritable that she snapped at me.

"How so?" She demanded calmly and crossed her arms, but her eyes were narrowed defiantly back at me.

"You're distracting me," I answered.

"Hey, you said I could work my way," She retorted. I gave her another hard glare and stormed out to get some coffee to help calm my nerves to deal with her. I couldn't look at her right now. On the way out, I vented on other employees because I couldn't bring myself to vent on her. I didn't know why I couldn't bring myself to vent on her; it was very weird. Usually I had no problems venting my anger on incompetent employees and Misty had obviously tested my patience many times over, but I still couldn't do it. I mixed myself some coffee and sipped it slowly to relax. Mmmm…so much better. When I had calmed down enough, I came back and then thrust another big stack of papers at her to work on and went back to my desk to read a report on my dueldisk and looked for things I could improve. She put her headphones back on and then worked quietly to the songs, thankfully. I looked at the time and yanked the headphones off again and turned her CD player off.

"Time to go to another meeting," She sighed as she put her CD player away and started following me. I noticed she looked a little glum. We got to a meeting with a shy, young businessman with a product idea. I listened to him stumble on his words as he nervously presented his idea. He obviously didn't have the full logic of his idea worked out and was all wrong on the mechanics. An idea is only as good as how well it can be executed and sold, and this idea had none of that. Listening to his idea was like watching one of the occasional plaintiffs coming in against my company in court trying to sue me for some stupid reason and losing because they are unprepared. I was furious this man had wasted my time.

"THAT'S NO GOOD! GET OUT AND TAKE THIS CRAPPY IDEA WITH YOU!" The man ran away practically crying, and I could see shock on Misty's face. I didn't pay much more attention to her and took her back to my office. She didn't even put her music back on. She seemed haunted by the meeting. I later looked over her papers to make sure they were in order and I noticed there were 2 papers she had gotten switched.

"What the hell?" I snapped a little when I saw her mistake. "Misty, what is the meaning of this? This was supposed to go here, not there."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to mess up," Misty genuinely apologized. Wait, she wasn't arguing or fighting me? I looked into her eyes and she still seemed a bit in shock from the meeting. I think she was expecting me to be giving her icy death glares, but I just couldn't with the way she looked.

"_I think you frightened her," my inner self pointed out. She did seem a little nervous around me. Great…she turned into another one of the typical employees I had. I had to admit I was disappointed. I thought she was stronger and fiercer._

"_Well, it is her first day, maybe she needs to get used to how things go around here. Maybe her fiery spitfire attitude will be back before you know it," my inner self added encouragingly. I hoped so. _

"Don't let it happen again!" I commanded with a growl. She then looked at me strangely, like she was trying to figure me out, but I ignored her.

We went to get Mokuba from school, and I couldn't help but relax once Mokuba got in the limo. I didn't care that Misty had seen how I relaxed with Mokuba in the limo. For all I cared, the limo was our own private place at the moment where he and I could relax and have brotherly time.

"How was school Mokuba?" I asked with a brotherly smile.

"It was great Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed brightly and gave a detailed description of his day.

"That sounds like an awesome day, Mokuba," Misty remarked with a smile and then took over conversing gaily with him like they were old friends.

"How's your first day going Misty?" Mokuba asked hopefully.

"Well, it's a bit surprising. I hadn't expected to be caught in such a whirlwind of emotions," Misty replied daringly, giving me a defiant look. She was back alright. I was a little angry about the backhanded reference, but I didn't want to let my anger out here where it was supposed to be peaceful.

"What?" Mokuba asked in surprise and looked at me as if to confirm what she said. "Seto, please be nice to her. We can't scare her off and go back to searching for an assistant again! Please!" Mokuba pleaded, his big grey eyes getting bigger whenever he wanted something. I also didn't like to be reminded of the horrible hunt for my assistant until Misty came along…all those bimbos…no…I definitely didn't want to go through that again. I also thought about how now Misty had an edge now that Mokuba had said that. Damnit. I slowly acquiesced to Mokuba's request. I could never deny my brother anything.

"Um, thank you Mokuba," Misty said awkwardly. He beamed at her with a big smile that was VERY contagious. It was so contagious, Misty and I both smiled back, and I feel myself letting my guard down even more…until we got back to Kaiba Corp., and my ice wall went back up. If I let my employees see me with my guard down, they would lose the reverence for me I had built up for so long and walk all over me. I couldn't let that happen. We went back to my office, Misty got to work on another stack of papers and I was busy arguing on the phone with an idiot about a simple technical issue he couldn't figure out. When I had gotten off the phone finally, I saw Misty helping Mokuba with his homework and patiently walking him through the problems until he could understand on his own. I smiled inwardly as I watched for a bit and knew Misty was a keeper...if she could curb her temper. Once Mokuba finished with his homework, he seemed so much more at ease and relaxed. Misty got another stack of papers done for me and then started on her homework since I didn't have any other work to give her right now.

"College work seems tough," Mokuba remarked as he peeked over her work.

"Nah, it's not that tough," she replied and returned her focus to her work. Mokuba patiently let her work, watching fascinated at her college homework. He seemed impressed with the ease she got her homework done. When she had finished, she chatted gaily with him again while I continued working. Finally, I decided to give up for the night.

"Let's go, time to take you home," I announced as I got up stiffly from my chair and stretched. Misty got her bag and her purse and then waited with Mokuba as I locked up. We got back down to the limo, and Misty and Mokuba resumed their conversation as I watched. I enjoyed watching her because I got to observe what she was like when she was happy and in a good mood. Both Misty's and Mokuba's energies were so contagious I let my ice wall down and relaxed as I watched. I hated to have it end, but we had arrived at her apartment complex. She got out, got her stuff, and then we watched her walk upstairs to her apartment and go in before leaving. I looked over at Mokuba and he was grinning at me like a Cheshire cat.

"What's that look for?"

"Nothing," Mokuba lied.

"Liar," I called him out.

"I saw you watching her."

"I was trying to figure her out. Her moods change so much in a single day, and I can't understand why," I admitted. "One moment she's argumentative, stubborn, and feisty, another moment she's calm, almost shy, and the next she's happy and talkative."

"I also noticed you let her see you relax and let your guard down, you didn't vent on her like you do with the rest of the employees, and how you were watching her help me with my homework," Mokuba pointed out. "There's something different going on with you around her."

"It's nothing, Mokuba, don't worry about it," I insisted.

"Whatever you say bro," Mokuba retorted and dropped it. We got home and I got dinner taken care of for both of us and played video games with him for a while before I sent him off to bed. I went online and bought my textbooks from the bookstore and then went to bed. I had the oddest dream about Misty. _I dreamt we had gone to work as usual, and I could see all these electric lines buzzing around her and wrapping around me, drawing me to her, but a shadowy figure was pulling me back away from her. _

"_Don't go near her," the figure warned._

"_Why?" I demanded. How dare this stupid figure tell me what I could or could not do!_

"_See that figure following her?" I looked and saw a shadow with a demon smile following her and giving her trouble every time she turned around. She seemed so frustrated, but she kept up her strength and her resolution to stay happy. I saw her collapse and look ghostly pale._

"_Misty!" I shouted when I saw her collapse and went to her. She felt ice cold and there was no pulse. I saw her ghost trying to leave her body, but then it was pushed back in and she was revived and went back about her business. I stared at her strangely and she stared back. I looked at the shadowy figure that had pulled me back._

"_Trouble follows her. She can see it before it happens and no matter how she tries to outsmart him, he'll always make it happen and will sometimes kill her. Don't get involved with her for your own sake, and your brother's," the shadowy figure warned. _

"_You can't tell me what to do!" I retorted defiantly._

"_So be it," the shadowy figure warned and disappeared. I watched Misty try to outwit the troublesome figure plaguing her and then die and revive again, using her protective instincts for her family and friends, and even Mokuba and me. I felt sharp pangs each time she died again and was then revived. _

I awoke and shook my head. What a weird dream. I didn't believe it for a second, but it was still pretty disturbing watching her die like that and then revive over and over again. I pushed the dream to the back of my mind and got Mokuba ready for school. I went to class and paid close attention to the lesson at hand, but there was something clawing at the back of my mind, like a creepy shadowy hand. I mentally squashed the hand not believing it to be real, and not letting it distract me; I had way too much to do to worry about some stupid dream. I went to class and took notes, keeping intense focus on the lesson at hand and the project we were grouped into; anything to keep myself from remembering the dream. Class ended and I went to wait for Misty outside her class. When she came out, I immediately rose from the bench and resumed my icy exterior.

"We've got a lot to do and no time to waste. Come on," I commanded and started leading the way to the limo. I was very surprised she was in a very good mood this morning and was practically skipping as she walked next to me. I had to admit I kind of liked seeing how she was in such a good mood. "You're in a cheerful mood," I observed.

"Yup!" she chirped.

"What's going on?" I was very curious to what brought her cheeriness on. She seemed so brightly lit.

"What, I can't be happy just because?" She demanded defensively with narrowed eyes.

"Alright, alright," I backed off, but the curiosity was driving me crazy.

"Take a picture it will last longer," Misty demanded sarcastically after I stared at her for a few minutes trying to figure her out again. I looked away, but glanced back every few minutes wondering if her mood was going to change. I could see a smirk playing at her lips, like she was amused. I could almost hear her laughing at me in her head. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I had never seen her so smiley, except with around Mokuba. I glanced at her brown eyes and saw mischief in them. She had something up her sleeve, but what was it?

We went to work and there had been a mini-crisis and my employees had freaked out and made so many stupid mistakes and only made it worse. Of course I was going to be furious, especially since I had to clean it up. I fired the people at the root of the problem, and I was angry that I would have to weed through more employees to hire to replace them. I was so angry, my stomach lurched violently. I felt like I was going to be sick. To calm myself down, I went to get some coffee. The nice warm liquid should help me relax a bit. I saw people chatting in the coffee room as I opened the door, and as soon as I walked in, they instantly froze and stared.

"Get back to your sorry little cubicles and get back to work! You're lucky I didn't fire you earlier after the crisis you couldn't bother to call me to fix, and if you want to keep your jobs now, I suggest you all go now and stop wasting time in here!" I demanded giving them my ice glare. They all shook and trembled before scrambling out of the room leaving me alone to enjoy my coffee in peace. I mixed it to my taste and slowly sipped. Aaaaahhh…how soothing. It was 10 minutes of bliss before I pulled myself out of my reverie and dragged myself back to my office with another cup of coffee to drink at my desk. As soon as I set my Styrofoam cup down on the desk, I jumped in surprise when I saw a small thick square wrapped in the business pages of an old newspaper with a little bow on top.

"What's this?" I asked as I picked it up and looked it over carefully. I had not been expecting anything. Maybe it was a mistake? I never got gifts from anybody except Mokuba, and he was at school.

"Looks like a present to me," Misty retorted sarcastically. Not a good move…

"I know that! Who left it?" I demanded. "There's no tag on it! It must be from a damned fangirl!" Shit! What if it was from a fangirl? Damnit. I didn't need stupid fangirl drama today especially, or any other day.

"Fangirl? Ha! If a fangirl would've left it, don't you think they'd WANT you to know it was from her?" Wait, Misty was right. Most of my fangirls would KILL for attention from me. They WOULD put a name with it, expecting attention from me. Misty sighed and rolled her eyes like I was hopeless.

"It's from me. Open it and stop freaking out," Misty said with another eye roll. Wow, Misty got me a gift? Why? Was it a peace offering of some sort? Was she trying to suck up to me? Not likely, but why would she get me a gift? Was this the reason behind the mischievous look in her eyes earlier, and the way she was practically skipping this morning? I tore the business pages and a horrifying sight greeted me…another layer of paper…the comics…I hated comics! They reminded me of that freak Pegasus, and the childhood I was denied. I shredded the comics viciously and Misty looked surprised. When I had finally shredded the paper completely away, I was surprised to see a glaring yellow book staring at me with a title that slapped me in the face: Anger Management for Dummies.

"Close your mouth. You'll catch flies," Misty gently scolded in a matronly tone of voice and tapped my jaw. This was the last straw. I slammed the screaming yellow insult down on the desk.

"I DO NOT HAVE AN ANGER MANAGEMENT PROBLEM!" I snarled and she glared back venomously.

"I rest my case. You should read it. You don't want to have a heart attack and leave Mokuba ALONE and to fend for himself, do you?" Misty taunted.

"_She does have a point, Seto," my inner self told me. "Remember that sickening lurch in your stomach after you got so angry at your other employees? What if it got worse with your anger? And what would you do if you got so sick and hurt and couldn't take care of Mokuba because you were so angry?"_

"_But she insulted me!" I argued back._

"_She's still concerned," he shot back. "She cares for Mokuba and you. She doesn't want to see you or Mokuba get hurt. She wouldn't have bought it for you, especially since she does have to carefully manage her money, if she didn't care," he added._ Right now, I refused to listen, so I continued to glare speechlessly at Misty.

"I thought so," Misty retorted. I gave her a low growl and turned my chair away from her so I wouldn't have to see her. I was definitely not in the mood to see her right now.

"_You know I'm right, Seto," My inner voice prodded. I mentally punched him to shut him up._ I still couldn't deal with her right now even while we went to get Mokuba from school.

"Hey Seto!" Mokuba greeted but was stopped short as soon as he entered the limo and saw me ignoring Misty.

"Hey Mokuba," I greeted tensely, keeping my eyes averted from Misty.

"What's wrong big bro?" Mokuba asked worriedly and sat in front me.

"I'm pissed with Misty," I explained and glared at Misty again. She rolled her eyes at me.

"God you're petty," Misty retorted and I growled again at her.

"Why?" Mokuba asked confused and worried. I couldn't speak of the insult she gave me so I thrust the book at him. I saw Mokuba practically turning blue as he was trying so hard to stifle laughter but gave in and started laughing heartily. Traitor!

"Misty, you really gave him this book?" Mokuba asked while laughing and got Misty to laugh with him. Great. Now they were both laughing at me…just what I needed…I so wanted to fire her.

"Yes sir I did," Misty replied with a cheeky, mischievous grin. "I even wrapped it in the funnies and the business pages for him too," Misty crowed proudly. Mokuba kept laughing and was a bit more serious a moment later.

"She does have a point, Seto," Mokuba began. We both stared at him in surprise. "All that anger isn't good for you. I don't want to lose you because you're angry all the time," Mokuba added and gave me one of his stares I couldn't say no to. Wow…that was freaky…he said the exact same thing Misty did. They continued to talk and we went back to Kaiba Corp to work. I worked on cleaning up the mess my employees made earlier and Misty and Mokuba worked on homework and paperwork together. I still couldn't believe she could boldly give me that book. After we took her home, Mokuba picked the book up and put it in my lap.

"Read it," Mokuba commanded seriously, his big grey eyes hardening at me. Yes, he was definitely my brother if he could give a command as deadly serious as I could.

"Later," I answered and put it on the seat next to me.

"Then you'll never read it," Mokuba retorted and put it back in my lap.

"Why should I?" I demanded.

"So you can stay alive. I'm not going to lose you because you're angry all the time. You're all I have," Mokuba shot back.

"Alright, I'll read it," I promised hastily.

"Good," Mokuba nodded his head satisfied and smiled proudly and happily. I opened the book and started reading the book. I hated to admit, it was a pretty good book for what it was. I could feel myself starting to lighten up a little already.

Saturday came and I was a little hesitant to get ready to teach Misty how to duel, but I was curious as to how good she'd be. I got up and got ready early and then picked her up from her apartment and could see another mischievous light in her fiery brown eyes after Edward opened the door for her.

"Thanks Edward," she told him with an appreciative smile as she got in and he closed the door behind her and then started driving us to Kaiba Corp.

"Buenos Dias, Señor Kaiba," Misty greeted with a big smile. Her smile was very nice, but wait, she was speaking in a foreign language and I had no clue what she was saying.

"¿Tienes una problema si hablo español?" She asked with her smile still. I could see her laughing at me in her eyes.

"English please," I requested with a sharp edge to my voice and narrowed eyes. I didn't have time to deal with this, and she was still testing my patience even after I'd been trying to learn how to deal with my anger.

"¿Porque? Necesitas aprender español. Quiero hablar en español hoy," Misty responded coolly with her widening mischievous smile.

"_She's just testing you. Don't let her get to you," My inner self advised. _

"_Easy for you to say," I shot back to him. _

"Talk. English. Please," I demanded starting to lose my cool.

"No," I grinned wider. I could understand that. I tried to remain calm and talk to her in English, but she refused to speak English. My patience was really wearing thin now. She continued to speak Spanish and was practically choking on her laughter. I was so furious how she was practically laughing at me, but I couldn't do anything about it and she knew it. I was stuck with her and had to teach her, but I really didn't want to now. We got to Kaiba Corp., and I brought her to my collection.

"I'll loan you some cards since you obviously can't be bothered to buy them yet," I told her and then showed them to her. "Guard them with your life," I warned with a foreboding tone. She saluted me like I was a Military officer.

"Si Si, Capítan." She then carefully looked at the cards. "Ooooh! Me gustan esas, esas, y estas tarjetas allí!" She exclaimed pointing out the cards she chose. I hoped she knew what she was doing. I got her chosen cards out and handed them to her in a card case that she put for safekeeping in her purse. I led her down to his practice arena and had her stand at a platform while I took the other and started the duel. We dueled all afternoon…in English…and of course she lost a few, but then she started to pick up and understand what was going on and even beat me. She was very strategic once she got the hang of it.

"Good. You seem to understand," I remarked neutrally. "I'm impressed." Really, I was. I had never met a novice as smart and logical as she was.

"Gracias." Misty replied with a bright, beaming smile, resuming her Spanish. I sighed in exasperation. Great…just when I got her to speak English again too. We got back into the limo and Misty shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. "¿Qué esperas? Soy de Tejas. Está al lado de México. La Mayor parte de tejanos saben el español." I growled irritably.

"Why can't you just speak English?" I demanded frustrated.

"Te dije ya. Prefiero hablar español hoy," Misty replied.

"Monday you better be speaking English again," I demanded. I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Why can't I have a normal assistant?

"¿Y si no quiero a?" she challenged.

"I'll fire you if you don't," I threatened her. Surely she'd straighten up if the fate of her job was on the line. She should've been gone long ago, but I couldn't. With her being as smart as she was, she wouldn't believe me either.

"No no prometiste Mokuba tu no no," Misty warned. "¿No quieres guardarlo feliz?" Misty challenged. She mentioned Mokuba, so I assumed she was talking about how I promised I wouldn't fire her. No…I was not going to search again. She had me bound. Mokuba, you had to bring up the wading through the bimbos… A few minutes later, the limo pulled below her apartment.

"See you Monday. Speak English, Please," I bade and watched her go up. As soon as she was inside, the limo took me home. I groaned and rested my head against the seat and looked up. Why did she have to frustrate me so much, and why did I keep coming back for more? I remembered her smile today and the way she spoke Spanish and I couldn't stop my mouth from forming a small smile as I remembered.

_"She's full of surprises," My inner voice remarked._

_ "No shit. That's an understatement," I agreed. _

_ "You know you like it. She seems to be just what you need," my inner voice insisted. _

_ "I need how she makes me angry?" I shot back._

_ "Surprisingly, yes," my inner voice replied._

_ "How so?"_

_"She's teaching you, and you're being stubborn."_

_ "She's what?" I exclaimed surprised. _

_ "She's teaching you: 1) not to be so judgmental and stereotypical with the way she acted when you insulted Texas to her face 2) humility and modesty 3) how important your health is 4) how important it is to stand up for yourself as she is the only one brave enough to challenge you and 5) culture. She was singing and dancing to Spanish music and even spoke Spanish to you today. She was reminding you of her skills. Yeah, she seemed mischievous today because she knew you couldn't understand her, but she was speaking Spanish to get you to expand a little so you would appreciate it more," My inner voice explained. I never thought of it that way. "Oh and I almost forgot: she's giving you and Mokuba a sort of motherly affection and care, and you've started learning sympathy for her."_

_ "What did I get myself into," I groaned._

_ "The best thing of your life," he replied._

_ "I doubt that."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "You remember the dream about her."_

_ "Yeah, so?"_

_ "She can see trouble and she tries so hard to avoid it, but it always comes for her. What's that going to do to me and Mokuba?"_

_ "It's always about you, isn't it?" he hissed. "Don't you think she gets tired of it?"_

_ "Likely, but I won't accept her putting us in danger all the time," I retorted._

_ "At least she can warn you," He countered. _

_ "Stay away from her," the shadow figure warned again._

_ "Let her help you!"my inner voice argued. _

_ "Now listen, both of you!" I commanded. "I've only known her for a week and I will decide what's best! Understand!" I boomed. _

_ "So be it," the shadow caved in._

_ "Alright," my inner voice conceded. _

I got home feeling weary from the argument within my head. I rubbed my eyes and my temple.

"Seto? You okay?" Mokuba asked concerned when he saw me.

"Just a headache Mokuba," I replied and started climbing the stairs to my room. I just wanted to lie down for a while to clear my head.

"So the duel teaching didn't go so well?" He concluded and seemed so disappointed.

"No, she is actually pretty good once she got the hang of it," I corrected him.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Just a headache. Don't worry Mokuba," I assured him and ruffled his hair and gave him a half-smile to help put him at ease. "I'm going to lie down," I told him and went to my room and lay on my bed in my dim room, but I couldn't sleep because I was so conflicted. What was I going to do now?


	3. Arguing with Myself

~My Pov~

I was washing dishes and I couldn't help but smile as I remembered him getting so frustrated today. The smile turned into a chuckle and then I was full on laughing my ass off.

"_I'm glad you were having fun," My inner self told me with a serious edge to her tone._

"_It was fun," I replied still grinning._

"_You better cool it with driving him crazy. He might actually want to fire you," my thoughts warned._

"_He can't," I retorted still smiling. "Mokuba won't let him, and he's got my back," I argued smiling smugly._

"_Maybe not, but he's not happy."_

"_I beg to differ. He's happy in the limo when Mokuba's around, but then again he's NEVER happy," I retorted._

"_And this is supposed to help him?" my thoughts demanded._

"_Yep," I replied with a grin._

"_I hope you know what you're doing," she retorted._

"_Hey, I told him ahead of time what to expect with my personality. If he's not happy that he hired me even after I told him, that's his own fault. Whether he thinks I am or not, I'm helping him," I insisted stubbornly as I scrubbed a particularly tough stuck on food particle in my big saucepan._

"_Whatever you say," my thoughts sighed and conceded._

I finished scrubbing my dishes and loading the dishwasher, and then ran it before lounging on the couch watching a romantic movie on TV. I sorta wished I could have something as sweet and romantic happen to me like that, but who was I kidding? Nothing like that was ever going to happen to me, not with MY luck. I sighed, but then I saw Mr. Kaiba's face in my head and could imagine myself curled on the couch next to him.

"_What? Oh no! No! No! NOOOO!" I growled and shook my head to rid myself of thoughts about him._

"_What's wrong?" my inner self asked._

"_Did you put thoughts of…him in my head?" I demanded unable to say Mr. Kaiba's name should he return to my head._

"_No…" she lied._

"_You're lying," I hissed._

"_Hey, I can't help it if I see chemistry between y'all, especially with the way you're driving him crazy on purpose. You want him," my thoughts pointed out with a smug smirk. "And I think he's hot for you too."_

"_Impossible, you said yourself he hates me and wanted to fire me," I argued._

"_I never said he hated you," she replied nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes and groaned._

"_No, no, no… I will NEVER get involved with him like that…" I vowed._

"_Keep telling yourself that," she argued smugly. "But I can see he's kinda hot for you, and you're feeling something too."_

"_Prove it," I demanded._

"_He's just your type, you're driving him crazy, you wished he could stay happy and cool and not be angry all the time, you bought him the Anger Management for Dummies book, do I need more on your side? As far as how he's hot for you, he doesn't vent on you at all, he gave you a second chance, he helped you with your groceries, he gave you a ride, he let you see him relax, he taught you how to play Duel Monsters and something tells me he wouldn't dare teach anyone else except his brother, and so on," she pointed out. "There's some strong chemistry whether you like it or not. Something might just happen whether you want it to or not."_

"_Not if I refuse to let it happen," I retorted._

"_That might not be enough, sweetheart," she argued smugly and laughed._

"_I will NOT date my boss!" I declared. "You hear me? I will NOT date him!"_

"_And if you do?" she taunted._

"_I'M NOT GOING TO DATE HIM!" I argued. She scoffed and rolled her eyes._

"_Yes you will, sooner or later, and trust me I know. I'm as psychic as you are," she declared and left me alone._ I was kind of steamed now, and the movie was ruined. I decided to draw to occupy my mind. I got out my CD player, some pencils and colored pencils, a sharpener, an eraser, and my ink pen. I popped in my Gorillaz CD and stared at the blank page. I picked up a pencil with my twitching hand, and as soon as I was holding it, my hands took off as if they had a mind of their own. I could see all these random images floating across my eyes in tune with my music, but my hands kept moving to their own rhythm. When they had stopped, I snapped out of my trance and looked at the page and my blackened hands. I growled at what I had seen.

"_I told you so," my thoughts gloated._ On the page, I saw my arms wrapped around Mr. Kaiba's waist, and his arms were around mine, our foreheads were touching, our eyes each looked like there was a reflecting fire behind them, and the worst part- our lips were just an inch or so apart from touching. I glanced at the side of the page and saw Mokuba standing behind Mr. Kaiba practically cheering. Okay…this was weird. I slammed my sketchbook closed and put it on my desk with the rest of my art supplies. I washed my hands to rid myself of the dark pencil smudges, and then had a cleaning frenzy.

A few hours later, my apartment was spotless, and I was tired. I took a hot shower, got dressed into a t-shirt and some shorts and decided to go to bed. To my irritation, I dreamed about him. My dream was like a steamy scene from one of my romance novels. I forced myself to wake up before anything could happen.

"_I hate you…" I told my inner self. She merely laughed at me. I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling, until I fell asleep again…and dreamed about him again…and again all night. I was so glad this was the weekend and I wouldn't have to see him. I just hoped I didn't keep dreaming about him like this._

"_No, no, no! Any other guy!" I demanded._

"_You won't be in love with any other guy aside from him, at least not the same way," she argued._ I sighed and rested my head in my hand. I took another shower and decided to get dressed and go out with my friends out on the town to help distract me from thoughts about him. We went out, had brunch, and then went shopping and to see a movie, and not once did I see him in my head…until I saw a couple sitting on a park bench just wrapped in each other's arms. I stared a bit at them, but was startled by a hand on my shoulder.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Evelyn asked. I blinked a bit to bring myself to the present moment. Allison and Isabel looked concerned.

"I'm alright. I guess I just spaced out," I said with a tight smile.

"If you say so…" Isabel replied suspiciously.

"Let's just forget about it, okay?" I requested.

"Alright, alright," they agreed. A while later, they brought me home, and I pulled out my outfit I had planned to wear the next day for work and ironed out the wrinkles.

The next day, after another night of dreaming about him, I saw myself in the mirror and saw light purple circles under my eyes. I sighed and started getting ready, but I made sure to put some makeup on to hide my dark circles. I then fought with my hair and put it in a sleek bun, then put on my dressy sandals, grabbed my bookbag and purse and started running down the street to my bus stop. I was very attentive during class, and it did help keep him out of my head, but I was dreading after my chemistry class when I'd see him again. I would have to keep my guard up. When we had finished the class, I pursed my lips, put my stuff away, and me and my friends were the last to exit. As usual, he was waiting for me. I turned to my friends and hugged them goodbye before getting a poker face and stood in front of Mr. Kaiba. He blinked a little as he looked me over.

"What?" I demanded and crossed my arms.

"You look nice today," Mr. Kaiba complimented me in a serious tone. I hadn't expected him to compliment me though, but I didn't let it affect my determination to stay focused.

"Thank you," I nodded and then started walking away. I could feel his stare as I walked away, but then he followed me. I walked up to the limo and Edward opened the door for me.

"Wow Ms. Robinson, you look really nice today," Edward complimented me. I smiled at him.

"Thank you Edward, but please call me Misty," I told him as I got in. Mr. Kaiba got in a couple minutes after me. I saw him staring at me.

"Why are you staring at me like that? It's creepy," I scolded him.

"I'm just impressed is all, and I'm glad you're speaking English again," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"What are you so impressed with?"

"You just look nice, and you're really focused today."

"I know," I replied and started reading in my textbook.

"What changed?" I glanced up at him.

"Didn't have much sleep…" I replied and went back to reading. He looked surprised.

"So when you don't have much sleep, you're intensely focused?"

"Something like that," I answered without looking up.

"Oh, we have a meeting with a Spanish-speaking CEO today. I'll need you to translate for me, and we need to practice dueling again," he announced. I glanced up at him. This was a bit easier than I thought.

"Alright. Be ready to lose again," I smirked. He chuckled.

"What makes you so sure?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes struggling to keep my poker face.

"The fact that you lost after I started to get the hang of it all those times on Saturday, and I have a STRONG vibration telling me I'm going to win again," I explained.

"We'll see," he challenged. We then got to Kaiba Corp and he was a bit calmer, but still icy to his employees. He didn't react as harshly as he did last week to the other employees when they made a mistake.

"I'm impressed," I remarked when we came to his office and smiled at him. He seemed surprised by my smile.

"_Oh, you're smiling at him!" My inner self exclaimed._

"_So? I'm just appreciating he's using the gift I gave him," I replied back to her. I felt her smiling smugly, but it did make me feel good that he was taking it seriously._

"By what?" Mr. Kaiba asked.

"You're making progress," I pointed out. "I'm glad to know my gift is being used. You snapped less at employees who made mistakes today," I observed.

"Mokuba forced me," Mr. Kaiba replied with a half smile. I chuckled.

"So, how's it feel to be more relaxed?" I asked and started sorting papers.

"Weird."

"It'll be less weird once you've gotten used to it," I shrugged nonchalantly as I sorted and put my music on as I sorted. Later, I felt his hand on my shoulder. I took my headphones off and looked at him. He took his hand off my shoulder and looked back at me.

"Time for the meeting," He said calmly and he led me to the conference room where the Spanish-speaking CEO was waiting patiently. He rose when we came in and shook Mr. Kaiba's hand and put his other hand on Mr. Kaiba's shoulder. Then the CEO turned to me and smiled and did the same to me.

"Hola. Me llamo Antonio Maldonado. Encantado a Sr. Kaiba (Hello. My name is Antonio Maldonado. I'm delighted to meet you, Mr. Kaiba.)," Sr. Maldonado greeted and I translated for him.

"Likewise," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Igualmente," I translated for Sr. Maldonado. "Perdón, Sr. Maldonado, me llamo Misty Robinson. Estoy aquí porque Sr. Kaiba necesita una traductora," I explained. (Likewise…Excuse me, Sr. Maldonado, my name is Misty Robinson. I'm here because Mr. Kaiba needed a translator)

"Así," He nodded understanding.

"¿Qué quiere nos ayudarte hoy? (How would you like us to help you today?)" I asked on behalf of Mr. Kaiba.

"Bueno, Sr. Kaiba, su juego es muy popular en México, América Central, y América del Sur, y estoy un representativo de esos países, quiero negociar una alianza con su compañía. Queremos una división en México porque no queremos enviar nos duel disks aquí en japón o los Estados Unidos por las reparaciones. Queremos un lugar más cerca y se habla español (Well, Mr. Kaiba, your game is very popular in Mexico, Central America, and South America, and as a representative of those countries, I want to negotiate an alliance with your company. We want a division in Mexico because we don't want to send our duel disks here in Japan, or to the U.S. for repairs. We want a place that's closer and speaks Spanish.)," Sr. Maldonado explained and I translated for Mr. Kaiba.

"Who would head it up? I need to approve who will run that particular branch," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"¿Quién va a dirigir este división? Necesito aprobar la persona quién va a dirigir este división," I translated for Sr. Maldonado.

"Si, tenemos un grupo muy bien quién va a dirigirla. Voy a traer ellos a conocerles (yes,

we have a good group that will manage it. I'll bring them to meet y'all.)," Sr. Maldonado responded and I

translated for Mr. Kaiba.

"Anything else we can do for you?"

"¿Alguien más qué hacermos por ti?" I translated for Sr. Maldonado.

"Si, tenemos un idea también. ¿Porque no tiene un torneo del mundo de Duel Monsters? (Yes,

we have an idea also. Why don't you have a world Duel Monsters tournament?" Sr. Maldonado

suggested.

"Actually, we are having a tournament in about a month," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Actualmente, tenemos un torneo en un mes, más o menos," I translated. Sr. Maldonado

smiled.

"Muy bien. Queremos participar en este torneo (Very good. We want to participate in that

tournament)," Sr. Maldonado replied excitedly.

"We hope to see you there," Mr. Kaiba invited politely.

"Esperamos ver ellos allí."

"Muchas Gracias, Sr. Kaiba. Soy emocionado de está opportunidad. Les vemos en un mes, tal vez menos. O! Antes de me olvido, su es muy suerte a tener una mujer tan bonita cómo una rosa y se habla español (Thank you so much, Mr. Kaiba. I'm excited about this opportunity. We will see y'all in a month, maybe less. Oh! Before I forget, you're very lucky to have a woman as beautiful as a rose and can speak Spanish), "Sr. Maldonado replied. I blushed and translated. Mr. Kaiba looked at me with a smirk.

"She's great isn't she?" He replied, eyeing me. Sr. Maldonado smiled.

"Mirar por Señorita Robinson muy bien. Hay muchos cabelleros tienen sus ojos a ella (Take real good care of Ms. Robinson. There are lots of men who have their eyes on her.)," Sr. Maldonado told Mr. Kaiba. I blushed a little and Sr. Maldonado had gotten up and left with another handshake and left his business card. Mr. Kaiba took me back to his office and I started working on paperwork, but he was staring, and he stood behind me. The hairs at the nape of my neck rose nervously.

"That went well," Mr. Kaiba remarked. I merely nodded, but then sighed.

"Do you have to stand so close behind me?" I snapped. He stepped away and held his palms up a little.

"Sorry…" He retorted and stayed back. "Thank you…for translating…" He hesitated. I stopped and looked at him surprised. He just said thank you…I had NEVER heard him say thank you to me before, not that I could recall at least.

"You're welcome," I replied still surprised.

"Why are you so surprised?" He demanded.

"I don't recall you saying 'Thank you' to me before. How's that taste coming out of your mouth?" I asked.

"Bitter and salty," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Well, I appreciate you saying thank you, so thank you," I replied with a smile and got back to work.

"Oh, and I was kind of surprised at what Mr. Maldonado had said about you," He remarked.

"Why?" I asked without looking up and filed away some papers.

"About me taking really good care of you since other guys are likely to have their eyes on you, especially since 'you're as beautiful as a rose',"

"Why does that surprise you? You saying men aren't allowed to look at me, especially if I'm pretty?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"It's a bit unprofessional," Mr. Kaiba remarked.

"Excuse me, but 1) I'll NEVER date anyone from work and 2) I'll date whoever I want. That's MY

Business!" I snapped. "And why are you so worried about it anyways?"

"I…just don't want you…to lose focus…" He stammered.

"Bull," I called him out with my arms crossed over my chest. "Tell me the truth," I demanded,

my brown eyes blazing. He groaned. "I'm waiting."

"Alright, alright! The thought of guys staring at you just infuriates me," Mr. Kaiba admitted. I started laughing.

"Oh lordy! You're jealous, aren't you? Ohhh!" Mr. Kaiba glowered at me as I laughed. "So, what do you like most about me?" I taunted and bat my eyes, still chuckling.

"Certainly not how you can be so annoying," Mr. Kaiba growled.

"You know you love it…" I teased and went back to sorting, still laughing. Mr. Kaiba sighed heavily and then sank in his chair and forced himself to keep his attention on his work, but every few minutes, I could feel him staring at me.

"Take a picture. It will last longer," I quipped and then saw him take out a camera phone. I rolled my eyes, but then went back to work.

Later, we went to get Mokuba and I noticed how Mr. Kaiba really was trying to monopolize the conversation with Mokuba and not letting me get a word in edgewise. He kept glancing at me though.

"Seto, why do you keep staring at Misty like that and not letting her speak?" Mokuba asked. Ha!Hahaha! Mr. Kaiba was busted!

"Yeah! Why DO you keep monopolizing the conversation and staring at me?" I echoed with a smirk. Mr. Kaiba fell silent. Mokuba started grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"I knew it! You're crushing on Misty!" Mokuba accused.

"That's not it!" Mr. Kaiba replied but blushed furiously. Mokuba and I were rolling on the limo's floor laughing hysterically. I started crying I was laughing so hard. Mr. Kaiba growled and sat there irritably as he waited for us to stop, but he wouldn't even look at us. When Mokuba and I finally stopped, our sides were hurting and we were groaning.

"Serves you right for laughing at me," Mr. Kaiba hissed.

"Then you shouldn't have been staring at me and blushing when Mokuba called you out," I fired back with a smirk and my arms crossed. Mr. Kaiba huffed and remained silent while Mokuba and I conversed. When we got to Kaiba Corp., Mr. Kaiba was practically running ahead of us. We got to the office and I did my usual tasks, helped Mokuba with his homework, and then did mine. Right after, we went to practice dueling. Mokuba was so excited to watch how I dueled. I closed my eyes and gained my razor-sharp focus. When I opened my eyes, I gave him an intense, burning stare and we started the dueling. Mr. Kaiba had tried to throw me some curveballs to throw me off guard, but I knew he was going to and I was able to deflect them and beat him again.

"That all you got?" I taunted and laughed and I could hear Mokuba laughing too. Mr. Kaiba glared at him.

"Traitor…" I heard him mutter under his breath and I laughed more. Mr. Kaiba almost trapped me in the next duel and I almost lost, but then I found a weak spot in the trap. Mr. Kaiba started smirking triumphantly, and then it fell when I used my loophole and won again.

"Whooo! Go Misty!" Mokuba cheered. I smiled at Mokuba and gave him a thumbs up. Mr. Kaiba stared at me a moment and a Mona Lisa smile had appeared on his face and disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

"Alright, tomorrow you duel the computer. That will be much harder," Mr. Kaiba promised and smirked.

"We'll see," I replied with a shrug. We then went back to the office and Mr. Kaiba sat behind his desk and answered the ringing phone and immediately started arguing with the other person. While he was doing that, Mokuba wrote me a little note.

"Do you like my brother back?" He wrote.

"He's alright, but I won't date him," I wrote back.

"Why not?" Mokuba wrote back surprised.

"I don't really date people I work with. It's unprofessional," I replied.

"Oh…" Mokuba wrote back slightly disappointed.

"He's crazy about you," Mokuba added.

"He doesn't seem like it," I wrote back.

"He's just being stubborn. He won't admit it, but I know he's crazy about you, and the way he acted today proves it," Mokuba replied.

"Even so, it doesn't matter…I won't date him. I can't…It's against my principles," I wrote.

"What would you do if you changed your mind?" Mokuba wrote hopefully.

"I don't know, but I won't be likely to without SERIOUS convincing. What does it matter anyways?"

"Mokuba? What are you doing?" Mr. Kaiba asked. Mokuba looked up.

"Nothing important Seto. Just having a quiet conversation. You looked like you needed to stay focused. We didn't want to distract you," Mokuba replied. Mr. Kaiba gave him a tight smile.

"Thanks Mokuba," Mr. Kaiba told him but I knew he was curious about our conversation. I waited for Mr. Kaiba to look away before passing Mokuba the note back.

"He seems a bit more relaxed and not so stressed out as he usually was since you've been here. You're good for him." I felt a little tug inside as I read that.

"I'm glad I'm apparently good for something to him," I replied. Mokuba smiled.

"You've been a huge help already, and if you keep up your skill in dueling, you'll be 10x more helpful. You'll be our most valuable asset." Mokuba assured me.

"Thank you Mokuba."

"You're welcome. Keep your mind open. It's nice seeing him like this. Maybe it could bloom into something big," Mokuba replied.

"We'll see…" I replied cryptically.

"Time to go," Mr. Kaiba announced and Mokuba and I gathered our things while Mr. Kaiba started turning things off and locking up the office. We got down to the limo and Mr. Kaiba sat across from me and Mokuba with his arms crossed in a sort of relaxed pose.

"Alright Misty, you're going to be in the tournament in a month," Mr. Kaiba declared.

"I am?" I asked surprised. Mr. Kaiba nodded seriously.

"That's fantastic!" Mokuba cheered and hugged me excitedly. I hugged back sort of dazed.

"You'll need all the practice you can get," Mr. Kaiba told me. "The computer you'll be dueling also has other tournament opponents' decks and their dueling style."

"Isn't that cheating?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's practice. You've only dueled me. You need to know how to adapt to other decks if you want to be good at it," Mr. Kaiba retorted harshly.

"Alright, alright, take a chill pill, man," I replied.

"And you'll be helping me find the Egyptian god cards," Mr. Kaiba added.

"Okay…whatever those are…" I replied nonchalantly. Mr. Kaiba looked at me surprised.

"There are only 3 Egyptian god cards in existence. Having them is vital to the fate of the world…and I want their power. You have NO idea how powerful they are. I want you to help me find them," He told me. I raised my eyebrow at him. He was too cynical to believe in anything that involved a mystic power and here he was gabbing about Egyptian gods. Yeah…no… I felt myself bristle a bit.

"_Yeah… no. I'm not going to be attracted to a guy who won't believe in God," I thought._

"_Who says he does or doesn't? He just wants the stupid cards," my inner self argued. "Besides, you can still get him to believe somehow," she added with a wink. I gave her a mental eye roll._

"Sounds power-greedy to me," I replied with a nonchalant shrug. "And I never figured you to be the type to get so gung-ho about some Egyptian god cards and their power," I replied.

"I don't believe in mystical crap, especially the way Yugi and his loser friends talk about it," I cocked my head and stared at him quizzically.

"Who the hell are Yugi and his loser friends?" I asked confused. Mr. Kaiba looked blank a moment, but then remembered that I hadn't met them. I gave him a shrug to show how clueless I was about them and he seemed relieved.

"They're just annoying third-rate duelists who never cease to piss me off," Mr. Kaiba retorted crabbily. "You'll be fighting them in the tournament. I command you to destroy them," Mr. Kaiba ordered with a smirk.

"Okay…" I agreed with a slight eye roll. "Now tell me how all this 'mystical crap' is related to these Egyptian god cards and them," I demanded. Mr. Kaiba sighed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" He evaded. I shrugged.

"Try me," I replied. Mr. Kaiba sighed again as he sat further back into his seat and took a deep breath.

"These Egyptian god cards have an indescribable power that if they fall into the wrong hands, could destroy the world. I don't know how or why, but they just do. I'm trying to research these cards. As far as Yugi and his loser friends are concerned with this matter, they are after these cards too, to save the world," Mr. Kaiba explained. I stared a little at him and cocked my head to the other side and scratched my head trying to wrap my head around the depth of the issue. I guess not being a duelist except as of recently made it hard to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Sounds like a stiff competition," I remarked nonchalantly and sarcastically. Mr. Kaiba smirked at the sarcasm in my voice.

"Keep up the way you're dueling and it should be a piece of cake for you," Mr. Kaiba encouraged still smirking.

"And you can't do this because?"

"Oh, I'll duel, once I know who to duel, and I'm also running everything. Oh, and even if you lose, you still get the same VIP access Mokuba and I have since you're our assistant; we'll need an extra pair of eyes and ears to report any discrepencies to us," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Okay…" I agreed nonchalantly, but something was bothering me. Why did Mr. Kaiba hate this "Yugi" and his loser friends? I started to open my mouth to say it, but I wasn't quite sure how to ask it.

"You have something to say, Misty?" Mokuba asked me. Ah, screw it. Might as well say it.

"Y-yeah…I do, actually…" I began.

"So spit it out," Mr. Kaiba demanded.

"Why do you hate that Yugi and his friends so much?" They both stared at me a moment, blinked, but then calmed down. What? It was just an innocent question.

"Yugi and his friends are pompous, obnoxious losers who think they're better than everyone else, they spout off useless crap about the 'heart of the cards', how they think they're destined to save the world all the time and how I'm part of it too, how their friendship is the most important thing in the world…over and over and over again. It gets old after the first time. The worst part is they've beaten me using sneaky underhanded tactics. They were losing pretty badly and then out of nowhere they beat me? I don't think so," Mr. Kaiba growled as he thought about it. I raised my eyebrow.

"Bitter, party of one," I quipped quoting my mama and from the movie "Hitch." He growled under his breath. "Well you are," I remarked with a shrug.

"Trust me Misty, you'll hate them too," Mr. Kaiba promised me coolly.

"We'll see about that," I remarked. "You're bitter because you lost and you underestimated them. You did the same to me and you're still prickling about that. You're TRYING to get me to lose now that I've beaten you multiple times," I explained. He stared at me a moment and then turned his head away and then glowered at me.

"I told you, you need practice with other deck types, and you're on MY side," Mr. Kaiba hissed.

"Correction, I'm not on ANYONE's side. How dare you tell me whose side I'm on! I haven't met Yugi or his friends, so I can't be sure of my opinion on them yet," I snarled.

"You're MY employee and you're dueling for me," Mr. Kaiba shot back.

"True, but that doesn't mean I'll side with you unless I'm sure of MY opinion," I retorted with a cool smirk and crossed my arms.

"Fine, get your own opinion of them, but trust me, you WILL side with me once you see how annoying they are," Mr. Kaiba retorted. Luckily I didn't have to deal with this conversation anymore because we were stopped below my apartment.

"Well, see you tomorrow," I bade and quickly got out and hustled up to my apartment. I did not want to be around Mr. Kaiba right now. I unlocked my door and quickly closed the door behind me. _My inner self started chuckling._

"_You've got him wrapped around your finger, you've got him wrapped around your finger," she chanted._

"_Not this again…" I groaned and forced myself to ignore her._

"_Just let it happen. It would be SOOO much easier on you," she taunted. _

"_Maybe so, but it's principle. I CAN'T fall for my boss, and he can't fall for me," I replied._

"_Wouldn't be the first time it happened," she shrugged. _

"_NOT. THIS. TIME," I insisted. _

"_Make this easier on yourself. You can separate work and play, right? You'll make yourself sick if you continue to deny the natural chemistry. He deserves a chance like the rest of the other guys," she argued._

"_Yeah, if he wasn't my boss, I would." She practically smacked me upside the head. _

"_Chemistry can happen anywhere to anyone. Think about what Mokuba wrote to you. It's good that you have principles, but you're good for him, and you can't stop thinking about him and how he drives you crazy," my inner self advised. I got out the note and reread the conversation. I felt a warm, gooey feeling in my stomach as I reread over and over the conversation and then thought back to how he acted around me. "You got him to say 'thank you,' and he's already claimed you as his with the whole 'you're on MY side' thing. Plus, you and Mokuba caught him red-faced. He wants you so bad but he's being as stubborn as you are and won't admit it," she explained. I sighed and sank deeply into my couch._

"_Give in," she urged. I continued to sit there, but she continued to flood my head with desires._

"_I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…"I grumbled, but she was ignoring me. _

"_Fine…" I agreed with a huff and I let myself succumb to the fantasies my inner self put into my head. _

"_Good, good," she smiled._

~Seto's POV~

I forced myself to wake up after I once again had another romantic dream about Misty. I growled and punched my pillow violently._ I could feel my inner self smirking. _

"_Having sexy fantasies about your assistant are we?" he chuckled. I sighed heavily. This was going to be a LONG night and weekend if these kept up. Oh well, I went without sleep before… I could stay awake. _

"_You're going to need sleep sooner or later," my inner self taunted me._

"_Yeah, but you're the one putting those idiotic fantasies in my head," I argued. _

"_And you're the one who's crazy about her," he argued. I groaned and buried my head into my pillow. _

"_She's my assistant! I can't be falling for her!" I complained._

"_But you are. And it wouldn't be the first time any boss fell for his assistant. It's not such a big deal," he shrugged. _

"_Easy for you to say. I didn't sacrifice my teenage years building this to be the best damn company in Domino to lose my head and focus on everything because of some woman!" _

"_Who said you had to lose all that? You can't have your company AND her?" he argued. That was true, I could, but this had never happened before. _

"_She makes you feel good. She's just what you need," he tried to cajole me._

"_I don't need any woman to make me happy. I have money, my brother, and my job," I argued. _

"_Are you REALLY happy with all that? Sure, Mokuba makes you happy, but is all that really making happy?" he asked. I thought about that and could feel an empty void reveal itself to me. "Exactly. She makes you happy too." I sighed and then tried to go back to sleep. I had another romantic dream about her and me, but also about her curse. The shadow figure returned._

"_Don't listen to your inner self on this. Can you live with her dying and reviving frequently?" He asked. He did have a point. What would be the point of loving her if all she was going to do was frequently die on me? My inner self forced me to wake up. _

"_Don't listen to him! Has ANY other woman made you as happy as she does? Has ANY other woman shown you how much she truly cared about you and taught you anything?" He pointed out. _

"_Both of you, SHUT UP! Let me sleep in peace!" I demanded. _There was silence…FINALLY! I yawned and then lay back on my bed and shut my heavy eyes…only to dream about her again.

The next morning, I forced myself out of bed and dragged myself downstairs. Mokuba was still asleep. I got the paper the maid brought in and sat down at the table reading it hoping it would distract me from seeing Misty in my head. It worked for a while, but then she was back in my head again, but she disappeared when Mokuba came downstairs.

"Hey Mokuba. Good morning," I greeted with a smile. Mokuba smiled back.

"Mornin' Seto," he greeted back, but then he stared at me. "You okay Seto? You look so tired."

"I had a rough night sleeping," I replied honestly.

"Bad dreams?" He asked sympathetically.

"Sort of," I answered.

"Sort of?" He echoed confused. Great…how was I going to explain this to Mokuba without him harpooning me? He stared at me and rotated his wrist as if to prompt me to talk about them. I sighed, but I couldn't lie to my brother; I never could.

"They were about…M-Misty…" I admitted and couldn't meet his eyes, but then saw him grinning.

"You enjoy them Seto?" Mokuba teased.

"Not really. She's always in my head. I just don't want her to ruin everything we've worked for," I replied.

"What are you talking about? How would she ruin everything?"

"She'll make us lose our focus," I grumbled.

"She's been a big help to us Seto," Mokuba retorted irritably.

"And she's been annoying as hell Mokuba," I shot back.

"She's independent and has her own mind!" Mokuba fired back. I had never seen him this fired up about someone before.

"I know that," I replied. "I have no romantic feelings for her," I insisted and got up to start making us breakfast.

"Why not?" He demanded. He was quite feisty this morning. Misty was starting to rub off on him. I started getting out stuff to make waffles and started mixing the ingredients.

"It's unprofessional, and I don't think she likes me either, not with the way acts around me," I replied as I beat the batter hard against the bowl taking my frustrations out.

"She's just like you. She's guarded and trying so hard to stay professional, but she really does care about you and me," Mokuba insisted. I sighed as I poured the batter into the waffle iron and closed it. "Stop lying to me and yourself. I know you like her."

"I don't, Mokuba. That's final," I hissed and waited for the waffle iron to beep. When it had, a few awkwardly silent moments had passed as I poured more batter into the iron. Mokuba sighed heavily and ate the waffles in silence. After breakfast he helped me clean up, but he stayed silent and then went to go play videogames and cool down. While he was playing videogames, I got on the computer and waited for it to boot up and load my email program. In the time it took for it to load, my thoughts gravitated to Misty again. I pushed her out of my head with as much force as I could muster, but I ended up getting such a headache from it. I popped an aspirin and opened my inbox. I yawned as I checked through my messages, but then I saw an email with a Spanish subject line and thought of Misty once again and how she spoke Spanish. I opened the message and the words blurred together. I had no clue what these words meant and I tried to remember everything Misty had said in Spanish yesterday hoping some of the words sounded familiar. I then highlighted the text and hit the translate button and then in the blink of an eye everything was English. Thank God for the translate button. I read through it and noticed how this Antonio Maldonado had a proposition he wanted to discuss with me Monday afternoon at Kaiba Corp. That was tomorrow. I wrote back to him confirming the appointment, and a few minutes later, he had replied. Wow, that was fast. I translated the text and read that he was eager to meet me tomorrow and discuss this exciting proposition. I had wondered how he'd get here, but I guessed he was already in Domino. It would've been interesting if I had said no and it had been a waste of a trip, but lucky for him I agreed. I was curious what his proposition was, and I knew I would definitely need Misty's help tomorrow, whether I liked it or not. I'd tell her tomorrow then she'd have no choice in the matter. I finished checking my emails and went to work arranging the tournament for next month.

Mokuba didn't say much to me while we were eating dinner. He seemed a bit down, actually.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned.

"Nothing Seto," he replied.

"Liar. Why are you upset?" Silence. I kept trying to ask, but he wouldn't answer. "It's about Misty isn't it?" I grumbled.

"Why won't you admit to yourself that you are nuts about her?" He demanded, his grey eyes narrowing.

"Because I'm not!" I insisted.

"Then why were you smiling when you were daydreaming at the computer?" He asked.

"I was?" I asked. I hadn't realized I was doing that.

"Duh!" He retorted as if it were as obvious as sunlight. I pursed my lips. "Admit it!" He commanded. I remained silent.

"You won't feel any better until you admit it," he insisted.

"Then what? I can't do anything. It's unprofessional to have office romances," I protested.

"Tell that to the ones who've had them before," He grumbled.

"They were acting unprofessionally," I replied.

"So? Didn't stop them," he argued.

"It should have."

"Seto, she's so perfect! Ladies like her don't come around very often," he insisted. He was pretty insightful on love for a twelve year-old who's never had a girlfriend before.

"How do you know so much about love?" I asked curiously.

"I only observed how you act around Misty compared to every other woman here who came to be interviewed to be our assistant." I shuddered at the memory of all those wasted hours and all those bimbos. "I've never seen you this happy since you were 12, even if you don't feel you are right now. Your smiles give you away," Mokuba pointed out. I sighed and then finished dinner and Mokuba went to his room and closed the door. I cleaned up and then went to work again in my home office. I groaned as I could feel my back and neck get stiff. I stretched a little in my chair and my mind put another image of…HER in my head massaging my back. It almost felt real and oh so good, but then I came back to earth and continued to feel stiff…and also a little hard…I groaned and ignored how I was physically feeling until I had decided to shut everything down and go to bed. Wouldn't you know it? I dreamed about her again even though I vainly fought the dreams off.

I awoke the next morning and literally had to drag myself out of bed to get myself and Mokuba ready for school. I was so tired, but at least I was used to this. I started making some strong coffee and got some cereal for both of us. When the coffee was done, I poured myself a huge mug of coffee and drank it black. I cringed at the bitter taste, but I was more alert now.

"You have all your homework done Mokuba?" I asked as I saw him carry his backpack downstairs.

"Uh-huh!" He agreed excitedly. I was curious; I had never seen him this enthusiastic about his homework before. It was nice seeing him enthusiastic though. I went to take a shower and hoped the water would help relax me and get some focus. The hot water felt so much better as it rained down my skin, washing my tensions away. Once I finished and stepped out into the steamy bathroom, I felt more confident about seeing Misty again. I wrapped a towel around my waist, went to my room and started getting dressed and then gelled my hair in the bathroom. I had finished getting ready and then five minutes later, Mokuba had come downstairs ready to go to school, still psyched about something. He practically jumped out of the limo he was so excited. I chuckled a little to myself as I saw how excited he was. When I had been dropped off on campus, I walked to class and took my seat.

"Aren't you peppy today," one of my groupmates observed. I shrugged as if to say "I guess so." The rest of the class and my group had shown up and we had listened to the process of passing laws here in Japan. Fascinating…Surprisingly the time had flown by and then it was time to wait outside Misty's class. I quickly gathered my things and then sat on the bench outside her class. As usual, she and her friends were at the back of the pack coming out. She looked really pretty and so dressed up today wearing a pink t-shirt and red skirt with white magnolia blossoms on it, her hair pulled into a sleek bun, and a full face of makeup. Personally I preferred her in blue and a natural face. I caught a whiff of her perfume and she smelled so exotic and musky. Oh great…I was feeling warm. I hoped she didn't notice…

"What?" she demanded crossing her arms over her chest.

"You look nice today," I complimented me in a serious tone, trying to keep my cool. She was surprised at the compliment, but she remained as cool as she had been.

"Thank you," she nodded and then started walking away. Whoa…she was intensely focused and ready to work, and she wasn't even arguing with me. What had changed? I couldn't stop staring at her in amazement as she went to the limo. Now THIS was the kind of Misty I liked.

"_No, you like her feisty side. You take pleasure in her passion," my inner self argued._ I ignored him, but I did see he had a point. I heard Edward compliment her and her insist he call her Misty as he opened the door for her and she got in.

"_Houston, we have a space cadet," _my inner self remarked. I snapped myself back to the moment and got in and Edward shut the door. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop staring at her.

"Why are you staring at me like that? It's creepy," Misty bristled.

"I'm just impressed is all, and I'm glad you're speaking English again," I replied just noticing she was speaking English again.

"What are you so impressed with?"

"You just look nice, and you're really focused today," I answered. I saw her digging in her bag as if she hadn't heard me. I felt stung.

"_Oooh…burn!" my inner self gloated. _

"_Shut up," I growled to him. _

"I know," she replied and started reading in her textbook. I felt a twitch. _My inner self laughed at me._

"What changed?" she glanced up at me with a slightly annoyed look. Another sting.

"Didn't have much sleep…" she replied and went back to reading. I was rather surprised. She was a bit like me after all, but I didn't understand how lack of sleep made her so focused, unless it was by force.

"_Duh…" my inner self remarked as if it were obvious. _

"_You're really starting to get on my nerves," I hissed to him. He shrugged nonchalantly. _

"So when you don't have much sleep, you're intensely focused?"

"Something like that," she answered without looking up. I wished she would look at me. I forced myself to think about the plans for today and I remembered that Mr. Maldonado was coming this afternoon.

"Oh, we have a meeting with a Spanish-speaking CEO today. I'll need you to translate for me, and we need to practice dueling again," I announced. That got her attention.

"Alright. Be ready to lose again," she smirked. HA! That was a laugh! She had a stroke of beginner's luck!

"What makes you so sure?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes and tried to stay serious, but even she thought it was funny.

"The fact that you lost after I started to get the hang of it all those times on Saturday, and I have a STRONG vibration telling me I'm going to win again," she explained. Oh right, I forgot she could see the future.

"We'll see," I challenged. I started doubting I would win now.

"_You've already lost," my inner self told me in a gloating voice._ We then got to Kaiba Corp and was practicing a little more of the anger management techniques I was being forced to learn, but that didn't totally stop me from snapping at stupid employees making idiotic mistakes.

"I'm impressed," she remarked when we came to my office and smiled at me. I was surprised by both her comment and her smile, and my insides lurched excitedly.

"By what?" I asked. I was curious why she was impressed.

"You're making progress. I'm glad to know my gift is being used. You snapped less at employees who made mistakes today," she observed.

"Mokuba forced me," I replied with a half smile, earning a chuckle. I had to admit I was kind of glad he did force me; I didn't feel as sick as I used to, and it was earning a smile from her.

"_Whipped! Ka-chhh!" my inner self remarked and laughed. _

"So, how's it feel to be more relaxed?" she asked casually and started sorting papers.

"Weird." I never felt like this before.

"It'll be less weird once you've gotten used to it," she shrugged nonchalantly as she sorted and put on her CD player. Since she was doing that, I got some work done of my own, but every so often I'd see her sing and dance to her music. I liked the way her big hips would sway and how she sang softly. Later, I looked at the time and realized Mr. Maldonado was here. I put my hand on her shoulder. She took her headphones off and looked at me. I took my hand off her shoulder and looked back at her, admiring the way her brown eyes looked so deep.

"Time for the meeting," I said calmly and led her to the conference room where the Mr. Maldonado was waiting patiently. He rose when we came in and shook my hand and put his other hand on my shoulder. I had to admit, it did make me a bit uncomfortable when he touched me, but I didn't want to be rude. Mr. Maldonado then did the same thing to Misty, and I was wondering if this was a cultural thing.

"Hola. Me llamo Antonio Maldonado. Encantado a Sr. Kaiba," Mr. Maldonado greeted and Misty translated for me.

"Likewise," I replied unsure of what else to say.

"Igualmente," Misty translated for Mr. Maldonado. "Perdón, Sr. Maldonado, me llamo Misty Robinson. Estoy aquí porque Sr. Kaiba necesita una traductora," she explained.

"Así," He nodded understanding.

"¿Qué quiere nos ayudarte hoy?" Misty asked.

"Bueno, Sr. Kaiba, su juego es muy popular en México, América Central, y América del Sur, y estoy un representativo de esos países, quiero negociar una alianza con su compañía. Queremos una división en México porque no queremos enviar nos duel disks aquí en japón o los Estados Unidos por las reparaciones. Queremos un lugar más cerca y se habla español," Mr. Maldonado explained and Misty translated. Oh thank God she was here.

"Who would head it up? I need to approve who will run that particular branch," I replied. It was a pretty good idea to expand there and I could understand where they were coming from, but if there was going to be a branch in Mexico with my name on it, I needed someone competent and who understood how I wanted my company run.

"¿Quién va a dirigir este división? Necesito aprobar la persona quién va a dirigir este división," Misty translated.

"Si, tenemos un grupo muy bien quién va a dirigirla. Voy a traer ellos a conocerles," Mr. Maldonado responded and Misty translated for me.

"Anything else we can do for you?"

"¿Alguien más qué hacermos por ti?" Misty echoed.

"Si, tenemos un idea también. ¿Porque no tiene un torneo del mundo de Duel Monsters?" Mr. Maldonado suggested and Misty translated. Hey, that did sound like a pretty good idea, a world tournament, just like the World Cup of Duel Monsters.

"Actually, we are having a tournament in about a month," I replied.

"Actualmente, tenemos un torneo en un mes, más o menos," Misty translated. Mr. Maldonado

smiled.

"Muy bien. Queremos participar en este torneo," Sr. Maldonado replied excitedly.

"We hope to see you there," I invited politely.

"Esperamos ver ellos allí," Misty echoed for me.

"Muchas Gracias, Sr. Kaiba. Soy emocionado de está opportunidad. Les vemos en un mes, tal vez menos. O! Antes de me olvido, su es muy suerte a tener una mujer tan bonita cómo una rosa y se habla español," Mr. Maldonado replied. Misty blushed and then translated. It was cute the way she blushed like that. I couldn't agree more with him.

"She's great isn't she?" I replied, eyeing her. Mr. Maldonado smiled and sort of eyed Misty a bit. I felt my nerves prick as I saw his eyes checking her out.

"Mirar por Señorita Robinson muy bien. Hay muchos cabelleros tienen sus ojos a ella," Mr. Maldonado told me. Misty blushed harder and Mr. Maldonado had gotten up and left with another handshake and left his business card. I took Misty back to my office and she started working on paperwork nonchalantly. I couldn't stop staring at her and thinking about what Mr. Maldonado had said about her being the object of men's eyes because she was as beautiful as a rose. I caught a whiff of her perfume again and it had a bit of a calming effect on me. She nervously stood frozen there.

"That went well," I remarked. Misty stiffly nodded, but then sighed.

"Do you have to stand so close behind me?" Misty snapped. I stepped away with my palms up in an apologetic gesture.

"Sorry…" I retorted and stayed back. "Thank you…for translating…" I hesitated. I had a HARD time saying that because I was not used to saying it before; I never really had anything to say thank you to. Misty stopped and looked at me surprised.

"You're welcome," she replied still surprised.

"Why are you so surprised?" I demanded. I hadn't expected her to go into a complete shock like she had.

"I don't recall you saying 'Thank you' to me before. How's that taste coming out of your mouth?" Misty asked.

"Bitter and salty," I admitted. I guess I should have expected that.

"Well, I appreciate you saying thank you, so thank you," She replied with a genuine smile and got back to work. I felt a warm tingle seeing that smile again, but then Mr. Maldonado's comment kept ringing in my ear.

"Oh, and I was kind of surprised at what Mr. Maldonado had said about you," I stated.

"Why?" she asked without looking up and continued filing away some papers.

"About me taking really good care of you since other guys are likely to have their eyes on you, especially since 'you're as beautiful as a rose'," I admitted.

"Why does that surprise you? You saying men aren't allowed to look at me, especially if I'm pretty?" She hissed with narrowed eyes and her hands on her hips.

"It's a bit unprofessional," I replied. Even I had to admit that was lame.

"Excuse me, but 1) I'll NEVER date anyone from work and 2) I'll date whoever I want. That's MY

Business! And why are you so worried about it anyways?" Misty snapped.

"I…just don't want you…to lose focus…" I stammered groping for anything else to say, but I was stuck. She was not buying that.

"Bull," Misty called me out with her arms crossed over her chest. "Tell me the truth," she commanded, her brown eyes blazing. I groaned. What did I get myself into? "I'm waiting."

"Alright, alright! The thought of guys staring at you just infuriates me," I admitted ashamed, but relieved to have said that and gotten it off my chest, but I was infuriated that she started laughing at me.

"Oh lordy! You're jealous, aren't you? Ohhh!" I glowered at her as she laughed hysterically. This was why I hated admitting how I really felt. "So, what do you like most about me?" Misty taunted and bat her eyes, still chuckling.

"Certainly not how you can be so annoying," I growled. I made such a mistake.

"You know you love it…" Misty teased and went back to sorting, still laughing. I sighed heavily and then sank in my chair and forced myself to keep my attention on my work, but every few minutes, but for some strange reason, I couldn't stop staring at her.

"Take a picture. It will last longer," Misty quipped. To shut her up, I took out my camera phone and silently took a picture of her. She rolled her eyes, but then went back to work.

"_Something for you to look at later?" my inner self teased and laughed a little. "You going to use that as your wallpaper?" He taunted, but I ignored him._ That wasn't such a bad idea, but it was kind of embarrassing. At least I could use her picture as a ringer ID.

Later, we went to get Mokuba and to distract myself, I insisted on having a conversation with my brother to help distract me from thoughts of her, but I couldn't stop glancing at her. Damn.

"Seto, why do you keep staring at Misty like that and not letting her speak?" Mokuba asked. Damn. I forgot how sharp Mokuba was.

"Yeah! Why DO you keep monopolizing the conversation and staring at me?" Misty echoed with a smirk. I fell silent. I was caught. My face felt so hot. Mokuba started grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"I knew it! You're crushing on Misty!" Mokuba accused.

"That's not it!" I replied but blushed furiously. Stupid blush. I wasn't supposed to blush! I was Seto Kaiba, the most ruthless CEO in Domino! He didn't blush the way I was doing right now. Mokuba and Misty were rolling on the limo's floor laughing hysterically. Misty started crying she was laughing so hard. I growled and sat there irritably as I waited for them to get it out of their systems, and I couldn't even look at them. When Mokuba and her finally stopped, they were groaning.

"Serves you right for laughing at me," I hissed.

"Then you shouldn't have been staring at me and blushing when Mokuba called you out," Misty fired back with a smirk and her arms crossed. I huffed and remained silent while Mokuba and she conversed. When we got to Kaiba Corp., I had to get away from them at the moment. I was still irritated they had made fun of me in the limo. We got to the office and she did her usual tasks, helped Mokuba with his homework, and then did hers. I really liked watching how she and Mokuba worked on homework together. She had a very maternal side and I noticed Mokuba was right about how she was so caring; she cared for him almost as much as I do.

Right after that, we went to practice dueling. Mokuba was so excited to watch how she dueled. I was amazed to see the wild fire in her eyes as she gained a razor-sharp focus. I threw her some curveballs to make sure she was paying attention.

"That all you got?" She taunted and laughed and I could hear Mokuba laughing too. I glared at him.

"Traitor…" I muttered under my breath and she laughed more. I thought Mokuba would be on my side, but now I knew where his loyalties truly lie. I almost trapped her in the next duel and I almost won this one, but then she found a weak spot in the trap. I guess my triumphant smirk was too soon because she used her loophole and beat me again. She was really skilled; it wasn't beginners' luck after all.

"Whooo! Go Misty!" Mokuba cheered. Misty smiled at Mokuba and gave him a thumbs up. I stared at her a moment and a Mona Lisa smile had appeared on my face and disappeared just as quickly as it had come. I was kind of proud of her skill and I couldn't wait to see her in action against other duelists, but then it clicked…other duelists! She's only dueled me! She was so unprepared for other duelists. Granted, they would be easy for her, but I wanted her to keep her confidence in duels. Not to brag, but I was a hard duelist to beat, and she managed to beat me so easily now. God…I needed sharpening big time.

"Alright, tomorrow you duel the computer. That will be much harder," I promised and smirked. I'd like to see her beat the computer. That should be more of a challenge for her.

"We'll see," Misty replied with a shrug. We then went back to the office and I sat behind my desk and answered the ringing phone and immediately started arguing with the other person who had a complaint about my dueldisk not working properly. Of COURSE it wasn't going to work the way he was handling it. When I had won the argument and hung up the phone, I noticed that Mokuba and Misty were writing back and forth to each other.

"Mokuba? What are you doing?" I asked curiously. Mokuba looked up.

"Nothing important Seto. Just having a quiet conversation. You looked like you needed to stay focused. We didn't want to distract you," Mokuba replied. I gave him a tight smile. That was considerate of him, but I was still very curious about the conversation they were having.

"Thanks Mokuba," I replied and kept working for a while later. I yawned a little and saw the time.

"Time to go," I announced and we gathered our things and I started turning things off and locking up the office. We got down to the limo and I sat across from Misty and Mokuba with my arms crossed in a sort of relaxed pose. I didn't care if she noticed that I felt so relaxed around her in here now.

"Alright Misty, you're going to be in the tournament in a month," I declared.

"I am?" she asked surprised. I nodded seriously. I was eager to unleash her on the other duelists and have her help me.

"That's fantastic!" Mokuba cheered and hugged her excitedly. She hugged back sort of dazed.

"You'll need all the practice you can get," I insisted. "The computer you'll be dueling also has other tournament opponents' decks and their dueling style."

"Isn't that cheating?" Misty asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's practice. You've only dueled me. You need to know how to adapt to other decks if you want to be good at it," I snapped harshly.

"Alright, alright, take a chill pill, man," Misty replied.

"And you'll be helping me find the Egyptian god cards," I added. There I said it.

"Okay…whatever those are…" she replied nonchalantly. I could not believe she did not know the gravity of the situation, but then I remembered she didn't follow Duel Monsters. Of COURSE she wouldn't know what the hell they are.

"There are only 3 Egyptian god cards in existence. Having them is vital to the fate of the world…and I want their power. You have NO idea how powerful they are. I want you to help me find them," I explained. As if that helped…she stared at me with a raised eyebrow and a still clueless expression. I could not believe I had said that either. I must sound like a weirdo to her.

"Sounds power-greedy to me," she replied with a nonchalant shrug. Ugh…this was going to be so frustrating. "And I never figured you to be the type to get so gung-ho about some Egyptian god cards and their power," she added. Well, not normally, but in this case I was.

"I don't believe in mystical crap, especially the way Yugi and his loser friends talk about it," She cocked her head to the side and stared at me quizzically.

"_Idiot…" my inner self scolded me. _

"Who the hell are Yugi and his loser friends?" Misty asked confused. I stared at her blankly like she hadn't heard, but then remembered she had no idea who the hell I was talking about. I was actually kind of relieved she had never heard of them; it would make her being on my side much more easier if I could convince her how having a friendship with him or his loser friends would be a mistake. I would HATE it if she had befriended and sided with them.

"They're just annoying third-rate duelists who never cease to piss me off," I retorted crabbily. "You'll be fighting them in the tournament. I command you to destroy them," I ordered with a smirk. Oh I couldn't wait to see how badly she'd destroy them.

"Okay…" She agreed with a slight eye roll. "Now tell me how all this 'mystical crap' is related to these Egyptian god cards and them," She demanded. I sighed. How the hell was I going to explain this to her without her thinking I belonged in a mental hospital?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" I evaded. She shrugged.

"Try me," she replied. At least she was being a good sport about it. I sighed again and got comfortable and took a deep breath to ready myself to explain this bizarre situation to her.

"These Egyptian god cards have an indescribable power that if they fall into the wrong hands, could destroy the world. I don't know how or why, but they just do. I'm trying to research these cards. As far as Yugi and his loser friends are concerned with this matter, they are after these cards too, to save the world," I explained. Misty stared a little at me and cocked her head to the other side and scratched her head. I was right…she wasn't going to understand.

"Sounds like a stiff competition," Misty remarked sarcastically. I smirked at her sarcasm. I couldn't be happier.

"Keep up the way you're dueling and it should be a piece of cake for you," I encouraged still smirking and fantasizing about the way she was going to duel and help me find these damned cards.

"And you can't do this because?"

"Oh, I'll duel, once I know who to duel, and I'm also running everything. Oh, and even if you lose, you still get the same VIP access Mokuba and I have since you're our assistant; we'll need an extra pair of eyes and ears to report any discrepencies to us," I answered.

"Okay…" Misty agreed nonchalantly, but I could tell something was bothering her. She wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth.

"You have something to say, Misty?" Mokuba asked.

"Y-yeah…I do, actually…" she began.

"So spit it out," I demanded. I really wanted to know what was on her mind.

"Why do you hate that Yugi and his friends so much?" Mokuba and I both stared at her in surprise and she looked confused. I honestly should have expected that question and I don't know why it caught me off guard.

"Yugi and his friends are pompous, obnoxious losers who think they're better than everyone else, they spout off useless crap about the 'heart of the cards', how they think they're destined to save the world all the time and how I'm part of it too, how their friendship is the most important thing in the world…over and over and over again. It gets old after the first time. The worst part is they've beaten me using sneaky underhanded tactics. They were losing pretty badly and then out of nowhere they beat me? I don't think so," I growled as I talked about them. Stupid cockroaches, the lot of them.

"Bitter, party of one," Misty quipped. I growled under my breath. "Well you are," Misty remarked with a shrug.

"Trust me Misty, you'll hate them too," I promised coolly. Wait until she met them. I bet she'd tear them to shreds.

"We'll see about that," she retorted. "You're bitter because you lost and you underestimated them. You did the same to me and you're still prickling about that. You're TRYING to get me to lose now that I've beaten you multiple times," she explained. I stared at her and then glowered at her. How dare she accuse me of being bitter and questioning my motives for putting her up against the computer. Maybe I wanted to bring her down to earth again with a loss so it wouldn't go to her head but it didn't seem like it did, except in the intense heat of the duel.

"I told you, you need practice with other deck types, and you're on MY side," I hissed.

"Correction, I'm not on ANYONE's side. How dare you tell me whose side I'm on! I haven't met Yugi or his friends, so I can't be sure of my opinion on them yet," she snarled.

"You're MY employee and you're dueling for me," I shot back.

"True, but that doesn't mean I'll side with you unless I'm sure of MY opinion," Misty retorted with a cool smirk and crossed her arms.

"_She's right about that," my inner self agreed. "It isn't fair of you to decide her position for her when she hasn't even met them. At least she's being fair, Mr. Bitter," he pointed out. _

"_Shut up!" I thought back._

"Fine, get your own opinion of them, but trust me, you WILL side with me once you see how annoying they are," I retorted.

"Well, see you tomorrow,"Misty bade and quickly got out and hustled up to her apartment. I hadn't realized we were even at her complex until she left and went inside and Edward was driving us home.

"What was that about?" Mokuba asked.

"You know how Yugi and his loser friends irritate me," I grumbled.

"Yeah, I know that, but you were really insistent on her being on your side and hating them. What happens if she does decide she likes them?" Mokuba asked.

"I won't like it, but I'll have to tolerate them," I gritted my teeth and shuddered at the thought.

"Oh boy, Seto, you REALLY ARE crazy about her," Mokuba remarked and shook his head. "Ask her out already," Mokuba grumbled.

"No Mokuba," I insisted.

"Ask. Her. Out," he commanded.

"NO," I insisted. "Now drop it. I won't ask her out, and I know she'll say no anyways," I added and felt an inward sting at that last part.

"How do you know?" Mokuba demanded.

"She made that specifically clear to me, and I'm sure she told you too," I retorted.

"Minds change all the time Seto," Mokuba argued.

"Not her. She's absolutely set," I insisted.

"If there was a chance she would say yes, would you ask her then?" Mokuba asked.

"I…don't know…" I admitted. I was used to being alone and never had a girlfriend before, so it would be difficult for me to ask her. I'm sure she had boyfriends before so she would be expecting a sort of protocol. I sighed. I had no idea what to do.

"_Is the big bad Seto Kaiba afraid of a simple woman rejecting him?" my inner self taunted. I mentally beat the crap out of him. _

"_You're such a coward," he taunted and laughed. "Can't even get the woman he's secretly pining for…"_

"_I'll show you I can get her!" I hissed back to him. _

"_You don't have the balls for it," my inner self gloated and laughed. "Any other boob would have five times the shot you'd have." _

"_Stop it…" I snarled in my head. _

"_Even a dangerous criminal would have a way better chance getting her since 'she's as beautiful as a rose'," he mocked, quoting Mr. Maldonado. "And besides, it's not like you care if she dates a psycho. You only care about Mokuba, your company, and your Blue Eyes White Dragon," my inner self mocked me. _

"_Of course I care if she dates a psycho!" I retorted angrily._

"_What would you do about it?"_

"_Stop her!" I declared._

"_How?"_

_"Demanding she break up with him or I'll have him arrested."_

"_Psht, not like THAT would do any good," he answered with an eye roll. "She's stubborn."_

"_Then I'll have to date her instead," I replied and then just realized something- I just vowed I would. My inner self smirked. _

"_Oh, you're an ass!" I growled. _

"_Had to play dirty in order to get you where I wanted," he shrugged. _

"_So this whole thing was to get me to agree to date her?" I demanded. _

"_You catch on real quick. Now that you've said you would, you have to ask her. Don't you have a gala coming up? Ask her to that," he suggested. That wasn't such a bad idea. "Don't give her room to refuse. Remind her that part of her duties as your assistant were she has to attend social functions with you and/or Mokuba, but also make it worth her saying yes, like she was glad she hadn't missed it. You kill two birds with one stone. She'll get to meet your colleagues and she'll get to network so you get to be left alone because they'll be talking to her, and you get to see her all dressed up for you." The more he reasoned how right it was, the more I wanted to ask her. _

I then looked up at Mokuba.

"What is it Seto?" Mokuba asked as he noticed I was looking at him.

"Alright, I'll ask her. Happy?" Mokuba smiled a smile so big it almost broke his face and then he hugged me tightly.

"I'm so excited Seto!" He exclaimed eagerly. I smiled, but I tensed a little with nervousness. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm not sure how to ask her…" I admitted.

"First you got to get her to trust you and like being around you. Do some little things she'd appreciate and let them build up, or you could go the straight direct route and asking her straight up. From what I've seen, you're already starting to chip away at her wall. Just keep it up and she won't say no to the date. She really seemed to respond better to you today," Mokuba observed. He was right. Her smiles today really were so uplifting, but I still would have a lot of work to do. I'd have to ask her in a week. The gala wasn't for at least a couple weeks anyways, so at least I had time to prepare.

"And always be respectful of her desires and her boundaries," Mokuba added. I was really surprised how good his dating advice was, but then again he knew her quirks better than I did.

Later that night when I went to bed, I had a multitude of dreams asking her to the gala and her saying yes. I didn't dare try to fight these dreams off this time; they were helping me plan ahead.


	4. Only One to Care

~My POV~

The next day in class, I was surprised at how relaxed I was considering Mr. Kaiba would be coming to get me in a little while. I don't know why, but I felt really giddy as I thought about him. This was going to be so awkward when I saw him. My hands dashed across the pages of my notebook as I took notes on the lesson being taught, but my mind was on him.

"_Feels good thinking about him, doesn't it?" My inner self nudged. _

"_Yes…" I begrudgingly admitted. "But that doesn't stop the awkwardness I feel around him," I added._

"_Fantasizing is harmless," my inner self shrugged. _

"_True, but you won't be satisfied with just fantasizing. You want me to actually, physically get involved with him. It's not right. I'm trying to keep the professional boundary intact." I argued._

"_Fine, quit then. Then you can date him guilt free," my inner self suggested exasperated. _

"_It's not fair to do that to them. They need me," I replied. _

"_You're going to leave them when you go to start working in a pharmacy. Are you going to date him after you've left?" my inner self asked. _

"_Ideally, yes," I answered. _

"_Maybe, but neither of you would have any time to date then. His work would pile back up and you would have your own busywork to deal with. The best time to do that is now, when you both have time. You've made a huge dent in reducing the work he has to do, but see if you can make a bigger dent. With all that free time, you could have so many dates with him," she pointed out. I grumbled. _

"_Why do you want me to be with him so badly?" I demanded exasperated. _

"_Why would you fight it? Y'all suit each other so perfectly. The chemistry between you is as natural as H__2__O," she replied. I mentally chuckled at her joke. "Glad you like my funny."_

"_It was cute," I admitted. _

"_Good. Now, back to business. I'm not the only one who wants you together. I'm sure Mr. Kaiba wants you just as much as I want you to, and Mokuba really wants you and his brother to be together."_

"_I gathered that much about Mokuba…" I retorted annoyed that she pointed out the obvious. _

"_I can hear the bells," my inner self chirped. _

"_Now you're getting too far ahead of yourself. It's one thing for me to overcome the whole dating my boss thing, but MARRIAGE?" I shrieked to her. _

"_Hey, I'm just saying it's a possibility," she replied defensively._

"_You BETTER be saying that," I hissed._

"_But so you know, if he DOES ask you out, I WILL make you say yes," she warned._

"_Fine…" I grumbled and wrote the assignment down and started gathering my stuff together and walked with Evelyn, Isabel, and Allison out of class. _As usual, Mr. Kaiba was waiting for me.

"Hello Misty, Hello ladies," Mr. Kaiba greeted politely as he rose.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba," my friends greeted politely.

"Hey Mr. Kaiba," I greeted with a polite smile he mirrored. My heart jumped wildly at the sight of the smile. Oh dear…

"_Steady Misty," my inner self told me. _

"Come on Misty, let's get to work," Mr. Kaiba told me as he led the way to the limo and waited for me to get in. I got in and he sat next to me. My insides jumped again.

"_Chill out Misty," my inner self told me._ Ha! As if that was going to help put me at ease.

"So, what's on the agenda today? I know we have to practice, but what else do we have to do?" I asked hoping to get my focus on the work today. He looked at me like I had grown two heads.

"Well, we need to return some calls, do the usual paperwork, deny some proposals, and work on plans for Battle City, the tournament next month," Mr. Kaiba described. Ah, so that was the name of the tournament for next month.

"How about I handle the phone calls, paperwork, and the proposals?" I volunteered. Mr. Kaiba gaped at me and then blinked to make sure he was seeing me right. What?

"Uh…sure…what changed?" he asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently. I supposed it was a crime to offer more assistance.

"You're offering to do more work than you usually do," he pointed out.

"Is that a crime? You're welcome," I retorted sarcastically.

"Thank you…but you've never asked for more work before," he replied.

"I'm ready for more work now. I had to get a feel for the system here. I also have a quick question."

"Yes?" Mr. Kaiba asked curiously.

"Why are we denying the proposals? What are they for?" I asked with curious innocence. I was really curious why he'd automatically deny the proposals. What if they were genuinely good ideas?

"They're just ideas for the duel disks and things to have in Battle City; they won't work," he calmly answered. I raised my eyebrow. Something didn't feel right here.

"Have you tried them out?" I asked.

"No, but…" Mr. Kaiba began but I had to cut him off.

"But nothing. You have no idea if they even would work or not," I protested with my arms crossed.

"It's my technology and my tournament. I want them to work a certain way," Mr. Kaiba argued irritably. My proverbial fangs bared themselves at that.

"Granted, but that sounds selfish and change resistant. These ideas could make what you've got better, and you SHOULD test them out, and if they don't work then you can give the people behind these ideas the benefit and dignity of a response why they don't work and how they can improve. Wouldn't you want a response on an idea you had? How would you feel if you got a flat rejection without a reason why? At least with a response, these people will not get discouraged and will keep thinking. Don't we live in a creative society where ideas move it forward? Your testers could test these ideas out for you and keep records then respond later. Be fair," I argued with a fire in my eyes.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Mr. Kaiba told me backing off slightly.

"Hey, I'm a creative spirit too. I know I want feedback when I finish a painting, drawing, or a story so I know what to keep doing and what to fix for next time. Feedback leads to growth and development," I explained.

"Alright, alright, I'll hold off on the proposals and deal with them later, with a response, and you can take care of the calls and the paperwork. I'll have much less of a headache if you can finish those for me," he replied slightly irritated. I just noticed something strange about how he was acting. I noticed he had his hand over his stomach like he was having stomach pains.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"Just a trivial stomachache. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," he assured me, but he still looked uncomfortable. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised like he wasn't fooling me, but he obviously wanted me to drop it.

"Okay…" I replied unsure of what else to say. We got to Kaiba Corp and he hardly snapped at any bumbling employees today. I was very impressed and I wondered if his pain had anything to do with that. We got to his office and once his door was shut, I gave him some light applause.

"Bravo!" I cheered for him.

"What's that for?" Mr. Kaiba asked curiously and winced as he seemed to feel another sharp pain.

"I'm proud of you. You're making tremendous progress with your anger management," I remarked with a smile.

"Thank you…" he replied with a faint Mona Lisa shadow smile tinged with pain. I smiled back slightly, but I was still concerned about how he was feeling.

"If you're feeling sick, you should get some rest," I advised in a matronly tone.

"I told you not to worry about it! I'm fine!" Mr. Kaiba snapped.

"You say you are, but you haven't really let go of your stomach since we were in the limo," I pointed out.

"Just work…" he hissed through his teeth.

"I will, but first I want you to promise me you'll see a doctor if that pain doesn't go away," I commanded.

"Fine! I'll see a doctor, now let's get to work…" he growled and pulled a chair up for me at his desk and moved the phone towards me and the list of numbers and the reasons behind each call. He went through a brief explanation of the reason and some possibilities of what to say in response if any issues arose. He left me alone and then went to work on Battle City stuff. I got comfortable in the chair and looked over the list and started grouping similar calls together and then started calling the people on the list and had a pleasant, calm conversation with them and had resolved their issues quickly before getting to work on paperwork. I got my phone out and found the stopwatch application. The objective: finish all this paperwork within a half hour, if not less. I felt a pair of eyes watching me, and I looked up and my eyes met his.

"Am I entertaining to you?" I asked innocently as I continued to work.

"Yes, actually. I'm quite impressed at how you managed to keep your cool with those idiot customers," he answered.

"Not everyone is as technologically savvy as you or the next person. I at least can relate to and understand them," I replied slightly defensively.  
"Alright. Now let's go practice," Mr. Kaiba told me and started leading me to the private arena. "Are you ready to go against the computer?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I shrugged. I noticed he stopped holding his stomach, but he still looked like he was in pain, and he looked flushed. "How are you feeling?" I whispered to him.

"Slightly better," he whispered back.

"Okay," I replied unsure of what else to say. We got to the arena and he started fiddling with the dueling computer and then found an opponent for me. He smirked.

"Here, this one should be just a warm-up for you. This deck you're about to duel belongs to the yapping chihuahua known as Joey Wheeler. Here's a tip…stay sharp and ignore his pointless drivel. Just keep your deadly focus like you did with me," he instructed and then went to sit on the front bleacher to watch. He resumed his position with his hand on his stomach, but I looked at the computer and was determined to beat it.

"No problem," I smirked and gained the passionate fire in my eyes and the razor sharp focus on winning. I felt like a lioness circling her prey before the attack. I had to admit, the computer was a LOT more challenging than what I was used to and I was struggling to get used to it.

"Misty, remember the computer is exploring all possibilities to win so you'll be prepared for anything. Don't disappoint me," Mr. Kaiba called out. I nodded and then resumed my focus determined to win. Unfortunately, I lost the first time, but after a few times I started getting the hang of it and started winning again.

"Yes!" I exclaimed after I won again.

"Good, but don't lose when it comes to the real thing on the first try. There are no do-overs like here," he told me. I turned to him and growled. "Excuse me, you can cut me some slack and shut the hell up! I haven't dueled much before recently if you recall. Not bad for a newbie, right?" I hissed.

"Right. Let's keep practicing," Mr. Kaiba agreed but obviously didn't want to fight with me. He struggled to get up from his seat and then fiddled with the computer again and found another opponent for me and then resumed sitting. He seemed worse now. I started dueling and he was cheering me on, but something didn't feel right.

"!" Mr. Kaiba screamed and snapped me out of my focus. I ended the duel, threw my deck into my purse and then ran to him as he lay on the floor rolling around with his hands over his stomach and tears were springing from his eyes as he yelled in pain. He was starting to get drenched in sweat and he was burning up. I fished out my phone from my pocket and called 911 for an ambulance.

"Please hurry! My boss collapsed in agony on the floor and he's rolling around on the floor screaming! Please hurry to Kaiba Corp!" I asked frantically on the phone to the operator as he continued screaming.  
"We have a unit on the way," the operator assured me and then hung up the phone. I picked up Mr. Kaiba on the floor and carried him military style to the lobby and held him in my arms as he continued screaming and yelling in pain. I ignored the stares we were getting. All I cared about was him being okay.

"Mr. Kaiba!" Roland exclaimed as he saw what was going on.

"Roland, I'll need you to tell Mokuba to go to the hospital once he gets off from school," I instructed.

"Will do Misty," Roland assured me. Thankfully the ambulance had come and the paramedics came and put him on a gurney. Mr. Kaiba squeezed my hand desperately, his sapphire eyes alight with fear.

"Misty! Don't leave me! Please! Stay!" he commanded as he squeezed my hand with a death grip and screamed again.

"I'm right here Mr. Kaiba," I assured him as the paramedics put the gurney in the ambulance. I climbed in with them and continued to hold Mr. Kaiba's hand.

"It looks like his appendix burst. He's going to need immediate surgery," the paramedic announced.

"Misty…s-stay…with…m-me…" Mr. Kaiba stammered as he continued to squeeze.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. Hold on. You're going to be okay," I assured him softly. He relaxed just slightly, but continued screaming, shaking and squeezing my hand in a death grip.

We were flying down the road to the hospital but it felt like it took forever before we got in. The paramedics rushed the gurney to the O.R. as I ran alongside it.

"He's not going to let you go, so you're going to need to put these on," the doctor told me once inside the O.R. and handed me a mask, cap, smock, gloves, and shoe covers. I had to let Mr. Kaiba's hands go to put on the stuff, and while I was doing that, they had deftly removed his clothes and covered his body except for a patch of skin they would be working with.

"Misty! Misty where are you?" He demanded frantically.

I had finished putting the gear on and held Mr. Kaiba's hand again to his relief.

"I'm right here Mr. Kaiba," I said softly and he seemed to relax just before they put him under and started cutting his torso open. Since there was no chance I could go anywhere since he was holding my hand so tightly, I watched the surgery fascinated and intrigued as they dug around and removed his appendix and cleaned out the debris from it bursting.

The surgery went on for 2 hours before they had finished and closed his wound with this clear-ish liquid that looked sort of like caulk.

"He's going to be okay. He'll need to stay here at least until tomorrow. He seems like he'll be back on his feet really quickly," the head surgeon told me.

"Sounds like him," I remarked. The surgeon smiled.

"Don't let him get too stressed out, and he needs a diet of liquids to semi-solid food for a couple days or so," the surgeon instructed.

"Will do," I promised and looked back at Mr. Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face and smiled.

"_Awww…" my inner self remarked. _

"He's very lucky you called us when you had. A few more minutes and he would've died," the surgeon replied and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I just happened to be right there with him when it happened," I replied.

"You're his hero then. Now we need to get him rolled to recovery and admitted, and you need to fill out the paperwork," the surgeon replied.

"Okay," I replied and gathered Mr. Kaiba's clothes and fished his wallet out of his pants pocket and walked along to recovery, still holding Mr. Kaiba's hand. Once his bed was parked, I freed my hand from his and then went to the admissions desk to get him admitted and the paperwork to fill out. As I stood at the desk waiting for the nurse to get off the phone, I was almost tackled to the floor.

"MISTY!" Mokuba exclaimed and latched onto me and burrowed his head into my chest, staining my shirt with his tears. "Please tell me he's okay! I…I can't lose him!" He begged frantically.

"He's okay sweetheart. I watched the surgery. He just needs some rest and needs to stay relaxed," I assured him as I rubbed his back soothingly as I hugged him. Mokuba hugged me tighter relieved.  
"Okay Mokuba, you need to let me go a moment so I can get your brother admitted and take care of some paperwork, but you're more than welcome to help me, okay?" I asked gently. Mokuba let me go and agreed.

"Can I help you?" the nurse asked as soon as she got off the phone.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba and I came in about a couple hours ago and he needed an emergency appendectomy, and I need to admit him and fill out his paperwork," I explained.

"Ah yes, here is his paperwork," the nurse replied and handed me a clipboard with a few sheets of paper on it. Mokuba and I went to sit down and fill it out. I was so glad I had Mokuba helping me with this information. Finally, we had finished the paperwork and I returned the clipboard to the nurse and she typed everything in. It felt like we had been standing around forever before the nurse had finally given me Mr. Kaiba's wristband.

"Ready to see him?" I asked Mokuba.

"Yes! Let's see him!" Mokuba replied eagerly and grabbed my hand and started leading the way.

"Uh, Mokuba, Recovery is this way," I told him and pointed in the opposite direction.

"Right…you lead the way…" Mokuba conceded sheepishly. I found the recovery room and found Mr. Kaiba still asleep just as I had left him. I gingerly grabbed Mr. Kaiba's hand and put the wristband on him.

I stood there watching him a moment while Mokuba squeezed my hand.

"_He owes you big time," my inner self remarked. _

"_Not now," I grumbled and pushed her out of my thoughts for a while. _

We were snapped back to attention when the doctor had come in and tapped my shoulder.

"Miss Robinson, we have a room ready for him," the doctor announced.

"If I know him, he wants a private room," I replied.

"It is private," the doctor assured me and started wheeling Mr. Kaiba's bed down the hallway as Mokuba and I walked alongside, into the elevator. The doctor pressed the number 6 button and the little number glowed. We got off the elevator at our floor and then the doctor rolled the bed to room 625. Once the doctor had parked his bed in the room, Mr. Kaiba started waking up.

"Wha-what's going on?" he asked groggily.

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed and latched onto his brother's side in a huge bear hug.

"You had to have an emergency appendectomy. You almost died," I replied. Mokuba clung to his brother's side crying, relieved he was okay. "Easy Mokuba," I told him gently and put my hand on his shoulder. Mokuba reluctantly let his brother go and continued to stand by my side. Mr. Kaiba seemed at a loss for words at the moment, but he looked at me and took a moment to figure out what he was going to say.

"Thank you, Misty."

"You're welcome," I replied with a nod. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I had to get your wallet out so I could use it and Mokuba's help to fill out your information to have you admitted. Here it is," I said as I got the wallet out of my purse and handed it to him.

"It's fine…" Mr. Kaiba replied tersely and slightly irritably. I was a bit surprised at how crabby he was being right now. I found it even stranger how he didn't want to look me straight in the eye. I then noticed he was blushing.

"Seto? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Mokuba asked on my behalf. Mr. Kaiba still couldn't look at me.

"I'm fine Mokuba…" Mr. Kaiba answered irritably still trying to keep his face hidden.

"Why are you hiding your face then?" Mokuba asked. Mr. Kaiba looked at me a moment, then away really quickly.

"Why are you so embarrassed by Misty?" Mokuba demanded.

"Why am I only wearing a hospital gown?" Mr. Kaiba demanded. I then noticed a bump under the covers were his torso met his legs and I understood.

"The surgeon had to remove your clothes. They're here at the foot of your bed," I answered nonchalantly to make this as least awkward as possible. "So you know, I watched the surgery." Mr. Kaiba stared at me wide-eyed and his jaw dropped. "You'll catch flies," I reminded him and gently tapped his jaw. He clenched his jaw angrily and glared at me.

"_Oh…he thinks you saw him naked…"_ my inner self reasoned.

"I didn't see anything… you didn't want to let go of my hand, so the surgeons handed me a smock, shoe covers, a mask, a cap and I put those on while the surgeons removed your clothes and covered you except for the patch of skin they were going to work with. I held your hand, and they finished and I went to take care of your paperwork when I saw Mokuba. Relax," I explained calmly. Slowly, I saw his face relax as it registered that I didn't see him and I had stayed with him, but he remained silent a moment.

"Th-thank…y-you…for staying…" Mr. Kaiba managed to say. I could tell it took a lot of effort for him to say that. I smiled back at him appreciating his gratitude.

"You're welcome. Oh, by the way, the doctor says you have to stay until at least tomorrow, stay relaxed and stress free, and that you need a liquid to semi-solid food diet," I relayed.

"Alright…" Mr. Kaiba agreed, not knowing what else to say. I could tell he was still a bit embarrassed about his…predicament too. An awkward moment passed.

"Well, I suppose I should be heading home now and let you rest and recover. Mokuba can stay over at my apartment if he wants to," I offered.

"Sure! I'd love to come over!" Mokuba eagerly accepted. I looked to Seto for his consent, and he gave a brief nod that meant "Okay, sure, that's fine."

"Alright," I agreed with a smile.

"Edward can take us home, I'll grab my stuff, and then he can take us to your apartment! It's going to be great staying over tonight! Oh, Misty, I just need to talk with Seto for a little bit first before we go. I'll come get you from the waiting room, okay?" Mokuba asked.

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you," I replied and smiled before walking to the waiting room. It was at least halfway full of people waiting for news of their loved ones. I took a place on a couch next to a fidgety woman and watched some TV while I waited. I had to admit, I was enjoying the show when Mokuba came in and tapped my shoulder. I looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm ready to go now," Mokuba told me. I got up and let him hold my hand and lead me to the limo. Edward smiles at us as he holds the door for us then closes it as we get settled in, then gets in and starts driving.

"So, have a good heart-to-heart conversation?" I asked casually.

"Yep. Thank you for letting me stay over tonight," he replied and hugged me. I smiled and hugged him back ruffling his long raven hair a little.

"Anytime, Mokuba. Did you finish your homework?" I asked.

"No…I was just so scared for Seto since Edward got me from school…"Mokuba replied sheepishly.

"It's alright sweetheart, I understand. We can work on it when we get to the apartment," I assured him. Mokuba then hugged me even tighter.

"Thank you so much for saving Seto…You're an angel. I'm so happy we found you," Mokuba told me.

"You're so sweet Mokuba, but I was just doing what any caring human would do for him," I replied modestly.

"That's actually not entirely true, Misty. Most people wouldn't have been so fast to help him. He would've died if he weren't in your hands, and then I'd have nobody. He's all I have! I…I can't be alone!" Mokuba exclaimed emotionally as he buried his face into my shirt. I hold him close and rub his back in a comforting gesture.

"You won't be alone Mokuba, not if I can help it. If anything were to happen to your brother, God forbid, and you were alone, I'd take you in without hesitation; you can stay with me," I promised. I didn't have the heart to let him live alone on the streets at the mercy of all those damn thugs, homeless people, and Mother Nature.

"Thank you Misty," Mokuba replied extremely grateful.

"You're very welcome Mokuba. Tell me, does your brother have a lot of enemies?" I was extremely curious, especially since Mokuba mentioned how "most people wouldn't have helped him."

"Um…well, he doesn't have ANY friends…at all…and he has hurt a lot of people in the past. I can tell you NOBODY would have wanted to save him, and NOBODY would've cared if he died, except you and me," Mokuba replied.

"Well, then those people should be ashamed of themselves," I remarked. I was a bit disturbed to hear how nobody would've come to Mr. Kaiba's aid, or Mokuba's. I know Mr. Kaiba had a rough personality and all, but he was still a person who deserved as much chance to be saved as anyone else did, and for nobody to even help Mokuba? That was horrible! He's such a sweet kid! Who wouldn't want to help him?

"Nobody's cared about us since we were little, not since our parents died," Mokuba stated glumly. I was shocked.

"That's terrible! I'm so sorry," I told him empathetically. That actually did sting. How could anyone not care about such young kids? I was even more curious. "What happened?"

"Our mom died after I was born, and our dad died in an accident when Seto was 8 and I was 2. Our relatives used up the inheritance and nobody wanted to take us in after our parents died, and nobody would have wanted to adopt both of us. Sure people would want to adopt Seto, but never me. Seto wouldn't allow that; we were a package deal.

"Then, when he was 12 and I was 6, Gozaboro Kaiba adopted both of us after Seto beat him in a game of chess. He was a vicious, cold man and he kept Seto and me apart and made Seto work and study ALL the time. When Seto had disobeyed, Gozaboro would whip him like a slave.

"Six years passed and those studies had helped Seto get like 49% of Kaiba Corp's shares, and I got 2%. I gave my portion to Seto and he took over. Gozaboro committed suicide after that by throwing himself through a window. But Seto was never the same again. He smiled only rarely and only in front of me, and now you, and work and I were the ONLY things that kept him going. I was so worried for him when he'd get so stressed out at work and didn't sleep much. I would have given ANYTHING to take all that stress away, so I suggested he hire an assistant.

"I was beginning to think I had made a mistake in suggesting he hire an assistant, but then you came along and changed everything. It was the miracle I had hoped so much for! Since you've been with us, you've made his work so much more efficient, he's less stressed and more likely to live longer, and he spends more time with me," Mokuba told me. I was completely floored by all this information and I just hugged Mokuba even tighter.

"I'm so sorry y'all had to endure all of that," I replied softly. "If I could have, I would have adopted you two or worked really hard to persuade a family member or a friend to have adopted y'all. I can't believe the agony Gozaboro had put y'all through! And for him to have treated your brother like a slave! Disgusting!" I remarked.

"You'd be a great mom," Mokuba assured me. I can't help but smile.

"Thank you Mokuba," I replied.

"You know, you make us both feel so relaxed and at ease."

"It's my job," I answered modestly.

"No, it's just your nature. You just entice people to just relax around you without even realizing what you do," Mokuba explained. "I've noticed it happens a lot with Seto. When he's around you, he automatically lets himself relax, but only when he's sure nobody else can see. He won't admit it yet, but he does look forward to seeing you everyday at work, and he's working hard to impress you because he doesn't want to lose you and wants to spend as much time as he can with you."

"Really? I thought it was because he didn't want to wade through anymore bimbos…" I retorted sarcastically.

"Not just that anymore. He appreciates how you are so bold as to speak exactly what's on your mind, you work hard, you're modest, you're smart, and how you are so caring, especially after today. He was glad you stayed," Mokuba explained.

"I didn't have much of a choice," I joked weakly, but Mokuba was very serious.

"If you had a choice, would you have stayed?" Mokuba asked.

"Most likely," I replied quickly. I probably would have stayed by his side no matter what; waiting in the waiting room would have driven me crazy. Mokuba smiled.

"Misty?" he began.

"Yes?" I asked curiously.

"Please date my brother!" Mokuba pleaded and tried to use his puppy eyes on me. MUST…RESIST…PUPPY EYES! I really did try to resist, but I failed…he was just so damn cute.

"Alright. If he asks me himself, then I'll say yes," I answered. Eh…what the hell…I gave into my dreams/fantasies about him, might as well say yes to dating him.

"_WOOOHOOO!" my inner self cheered. _

"Really? Thank you!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly and hugged me again.

"Remember, only if he asks me," I reminded him.

"Oh he will!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. "He most definitely will!" We got to the mansion and I had expected it to be something grand, I just wasn't expecting it to be THIS grand…I was quite surprised.

"Dayumn!" I remarked as I looked at their huge house with wide-eyes, circling my head trying to look at it all. Mokuba chuckled at my reaction.

"Yeah, it's a big mansion," he agreed casually and led me inside. I waited for him in the living room in awestruck silence at all this grandeur…I had never seen anything like it…it felt kind of weird being here. I felt a little bit like a fish out of water right now, but I could tell that the way the mansion was decorated suited both of them perfectly. It emanated power, style, and pride, but something was missing and felt a little off. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Mokuba tapped my shoulder.

"Ready to go Misty?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, let's go," I agreed. He grabbed my hand and we went to the limo and were then on the way to my apartment.

"I can't wait for you to be his girlfriend!" Mokuba exclaimed. I gave him a smile.

"Slow down Mokuba," I advised.

"I'm just so excited!"

"I know, I know, but one step at a time," I replied. Mokuba then latched onto me in a big hug. I smiled and held him tight.

"We'll be one big happy family, all three of us," he said. I merely continued to hug him. Nothing else needed to be said. We got to my apartment and then we immediately got started working on our homework together. My nerves were still a little rough from Mr. Kaiba's appendectomy, and I didn't feel like cooking, so I ordered some pizza for us. We finished our homework in no time, so while we waited for the pizza to come, Mokuba and I played Scrabble. I noticed all his words had a certain theme to them: me joining their little family. I wasn't sure if he was making those words on purpose, or if it happened to be a coincidence. My words however, were just random words I created…but on closer inspection, I noticed my words had a theme too: possibility, hope, but also apprehension. Thankfully the pizza had arrived and we ate it heartily. Later, I showed Mokuba how to work my shower handles and got him ready for bed then got myself ready for bed. Tonight, I dreamt I was back in the hospital in Mr. Kaiba's room, and I was dressed as a scandalously sexy nurse with angel wings taking care of him. Oh great…here we go again…

"_It is kinda suiting," my inner self told me. _

"_Shut up," I grumbled, but I was continued to be bombarded with the same fantasies. _

The next morning I got up and started getting ready for class, then got Mokuba up and moving. I made some breakfast tacos for us, then Edward drove us to Mokuba's school.

"Have a good day Mokuba. I'll see you later," I replied and gave him a hug.

"Bye Misty," he replied and then went inside. As Edward drove me to campus, I thought about what my class and I were to be doing, and then my thoughts drifted to Mr. Kaiba still in the hospital, and the memory of him being so scared and frightened yesterday and how he wouldn't let me go kept replaying itself on a loop over and over.

"_He owes you big time," my inner self whispered._

"_And he's going to absolutely hate that," I remarked. "He despises owing people anything as much as I do." _

"_Maybe so, but I doubt he'd mind THIS debt. You saved his life and cared for his brother, and he's gaga for you," my inner self pointed out. "AND he thanked you!"_

"_Yeah, I suppose," I agreed. _

"_I bet he's looking forward to seeing you after class," my inner self declared eagerly. "You should do something that shows you're happy to see him doing better."_

"_Like?"_

"_Well, bring him a thoughtful gift of some sort, something small. Maybe a funny card of some sort," my inner self suggested. _

"_Hey, that's not a bad idea," I agreed. _

"_At least it will brighten his day, especially since he gets to see you and Mokuba. Nobody else will probably visit him," my inner self replied. I felt a twinge at that and I did see she had a point. Nobody else WOULD visit him. "See? You do really care for him. You wouldn't have felt a twinge like that if you didn't."_

"_It's so sad…I'm their only real friend…" I remarked. _

"_If what Mokuba says is true, you'll be promoted to family soon," my inner self replied. _

"_I guess," I replied. _Edward then pulled up to campus and opened the door for me to get out.

"Thank you, Edward," I thanked him with a smile.

"You're welcome, Misty," he replied and mirrored my smile.

"Say Edward, you don't suppose you could take me to a store that sells greeting cards after class, could you?" I asked politely.

"Sure I can," he assured me. I smiled back at him.

"Thank you," I replied and then headed up to class. Surprisingly, I found it easier to get involved with and focused on my work. After class, I was shocked to see people staring at me and whispering as I walked down the hallway, especially girls my age. Why? What did I do? Did I have a fashion faux pas or something? I looked around at the people staring at me and then my eyes landed on a tabloid with me and Mr. Kaiba on the cover…getting into the ambulance and him squeezing the hell out of my hand.

I could hear mutterings of the words "slut", "whore," "bitch," and the like. Fuck. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck…

"_At least you know you're pure and you know the truth. Don't believe the lies," my inner self encouraged me. I clenched my fists and knew she was right. _I walked to the limo with a copy with my head held high. I wasn't going to let these bitches get me down. I think they all were surprised I didn't seem fazed. I knew Mr. Kaiba was not going to be happy about the whole tabloid thing.

"Think about a funny card, think about a funny card," I kept telling myself as Edward took me to a store. Immediately I made a beeline for the Get Well Soon cards. I felt a feeling of déjà vu as I looked for funny cards…just like the time when Mr. Kaiba interviewed me in the greeting card aisle…I smiled inwardly at that thought and looked at all the cards that seemed perfect until I found one that suited him perfectly. I bought the card and a hot coffee the way he liked it and we were on the way to the hospital. I put the coffee in one of the drink holders and signed the card. I even drew a chibi Blue Eyes White Dragon wearing cowboy gear to cheer him up a bit more.

"_Awww," my inner self gushed with a smile. "Seto and Misty, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" my inner self sang teasingly._

"_Shut up. Could you be any more juvenile?" I replied with an eye roll. "And who said you could use his first name? I don't recall him saying we could."_

"_Not like he's going to hear it…" my inner self shrugged. "And I bet soon enough he'll let you say his first name…and he'll like it…" my inner self smirked. _

"_But right now, it's not okay," I replied._

"_Alright, fine…" my inner self conceded. _We got to the hospital and Edward helped me out of the limo. Immediately, I was covered in red paint.

"BITCHY SKANK!" I heard a few girls in the crowd yell. I looked over at them and saw at least 10 girls dressed like sluts and wearing lots of things with Mr. Kaiba's face on them- fangirls… So…these must be some of the famous jilted bimbos… The paparazzi then surrounded me, flashbulbs nearly blinding me and yammering some questions about Mr. Kaiba and what happened yesterday. I ignored them and handed my paint splattered purse, card, and coffee cup to Edward and gave the girls a dangerous death glare as I marched to them, ready to kill. The girls got nervous as they saw me approaching. I quickly blocked them off and got in the leader's face and glared at the other girls back and forth, breathing heavily and my voice turning demonic. I sure as hell looked like a demon now. I grabbed the leader's face and made her look into my eyes.

"LISTEN ALL YOU BITCHES! I DON'T KNOW WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE CALLING ME A BITCHY SKANK WHEN I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU! IF Y'ALL ARE PISSED ABOUT THE WHOLE STORY IN THE TABLOIDS, WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU WHEN HE WAS DYING? HUH? WHERE. THE. FUCK. WERE. YOU?" I snarled in my demon voice. "AND SINCE YOU RUINED MY OUTFIT, Y'ALL OWE ME ANOTHER ONE! NOW Y'ALL HAVE A FIVE-SECOND HEAD START BEFORE I START DESTROYING Y'ALL!" I flexed my fingers, ready to strangle them. They seemed frozen. I started counting.

"ONE…TWO…THREE…FOUR…" immediately they bolted away. The paparazzi and Edward stared at me in stunned silence as I grabbed the things I had and marched into the hospital. Everyone stared at me with wide eyes and a hush. I marched my way to the elevator and got stares from everyone. I saw a woman cross herself as she looked at me. I got off on the 6th floor and walked to Mr. Kaiba's room and entered.

"What the hell?" Mr. Kaiba gasped when he saw me. "What happened to you?"

"Your bimbo fangirls threw paint on me as I got out of the limo…" I explained tersely and set his coffee and card on his table with a little bit of attitude.

"Why?" Mr. Kaiba asked surprised.

"This…" I replied and threw the tabloid down, still reeling about the stupid bitches throwing paint on me. He gasped as he saw the cover and read the story.

"Damn it all!" he snarled.

"My thoughts exactly," I agreed gruffly.

"Great…now our reputation has been knocked down a few pegs…" he grumbled.

"Our?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, our. Mine because there's pictures of me looking weak and scared, and yours because everyone seems to think we're sleeping together because you cared and acted quickly and nobody else would…'with so many enemies having serious frostbite from Seto Kaiba's temper, it is a wonder anyone would be willing to step up for him. His assistant, Misty Robinson, was the only such person. In his frightful state he demanded she 'stay with him.' Various sources at Kaiba Corp. say 'she's changed him so much. He's a lot calmer since she's been here. It's likely she's sleeping with him.' If that's the case, sorry ladies, you've got no chance with him now.'" Mr. Kaiba read. I struggled to stay calm.

"At least you're not painted out to be a slut, or a skanky bitch," I remarked dryly.

"It's just as bad…My reputation has been tainted. I worked so hard to build that up so nobody would dare walk all over me, now I look weak…"

"Well, your rep could've been knocked even lower…you could be dead right now…" I retorted sharply. "You at least look human like everyone else," I added. "I'm painted as a slut for caring and acting quickly…" I hissed and was trembling.

"We know the truth, we know the truth, we know the truth…it's all lies…" I chanted to help calm myself down, but my fists were still clenched. I then felt a hand on mine and I could feel sparks. I was surprised, and he held his hand there for a minute or two when my hands relaxed.

"Thank you," I told him with a half smile.

"You're welcome." Just then, the news came on and there was footage of me with the paint thrown on me and going up to the girls ready to kill them. I watched myself yelling and snarling at them like a rabid, hungry wolf. The footage ended and Mr. Kaiba stared at me in awe.

"Wow…" he remarked. "I have never seen anything like that before…"

"I wasn't going to let them get away with that…" I remarked.

"Still very impressive," he replied.

"Thanks…you should…drink your coffee…before it gets cold," I replied changing the subject. He then noticed the paint splattered coffee cup and the card on the table in front of him, and he smiled.

"Thank you…" he said and took a cautious sip of the coffee and quickly downed it. "It cooled a bit, but it's just right," he told me with an appreciative smile. I smiled back.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I replied. He then started opening the card and read it and actually laughed a little, and he looked at me.

"Did you draw this?" he asked as he pointed out the Chibi Cowboy Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Yes. I figured it would make you smile and cheer you up," I replied with a smile.

"It is cute," Mr. Kaiba admitted and smiled. I beamed proudly.

"I thought so too. I figured you wouldn't go for flowers," I told him jokingly.

"No, not a big flower person…too girly."

"Of course, you have to stay masculine…You don't want to appear weak in front of your subjects," I teased and chuckled. He gave me a half smile.

"I think the tabloid did that enough already," he replied.

"That they did."

"Thank you, for visiting, and making me smile," he replied.

"A bit out of character for you," I remarked. He shrugged.

"Nobody else is here, except you, so I can do what I want," he retorted.

"I guess you're right," I agreed. Just then a nurse walked by in the hallway and saw me.

"Oh dear…you poor thing…Here, let me get you some scrubs to change into," she said with a kind smile and disappeared and came back a couple minutes later with some extra scrubs, and a trashbag for my ruined clothes. I went into the bathroom in Mr. Kaiba's room and peeled off my sticky painted clothes, put them in the trashbag and put the scrubs on and washed my face as best as I could but without much results; my skin still looked fairly red from the paint, and my hair was a complete disaster. Damn those bitches! I opened the door and saw another nurse had come in and was standing in front of Mr. Kaiba, covering him and was starting to remove his gown. I gasped a moment and went back into the bathroom to give him some privacy. While the nurse was working on him, I tried to continue to scrub my face and arms to remove some of the red stains. I also removed the shower head and stuck my head in the shower. I removed my scrubs top and then turned the water on and started scrubbing my hair vigorously to get some of the paint out. I watched the red water turn clear and then I scrubbed conditioner into my hair. I rinsed the stuff out of my hair, put my top back on and wrapped a towel around my head in a turban. By the time I had finished, the nurse had just put a fresh hospital gown on him and was leaving. Mr. Kaiba looked at me as I came out and smirked at the towel on my head.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You look ridiculous with a turban," he remarked.

"And you look ridiculous in a gown," I countered playfully.

"Touché," he remarked. I sat down in the chair next to him and noticed him staring at me.

"Take a picture, it will last longer," I quipped.

"Where's my phone?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh no you don't…" I retorted. "So, what gives? Why are you being so jokey today?" I asked curiously.

"I told you already, nobody else can see so I can do what I want, and I feel like being jokey," he retorted slightly irritably. "Do you not like it? Do you want me to stay crabby?"

"No, I do like it, but it's just something different from what I'm used to that I have to get used to," I replied. He didn't say anything after that. A moment passed, and to break the awkward silence, I decided to let him know that Mokuba had told me about their past. I wasn't quite sure how sensitive he was about that…Prepare for more awkwardness!

"Um…"I began.

"What?" Mr. Kaiba asked. I took a deep breath.

"Mokuba told me about your and his past," I answered and felt better knowing I had said it.

"He did?" he replied in surprise.

"Yep. I'm so sorry, that you had to endure all that torture and agony…"I said sympathetically and put my hand on his in a gesture to show that I cared.

"I don't need your pity," Mr. Kaiba hissed.

"It's not pity. It's sympathy. I can't imagine how hellish that must've been for y'all. I wish I had been able to help," I replied.

"Well, you couldn't," he replied bitterly. I saw his eye sparkle slightly, then twitch.

"I would have if I could have," I whispered. "I would have adopted both of you, or insisted someone I knew to adopt you both when you were younger," I added gently. I saw him tense up. I squeezed his hand a little. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have a very peachy childhood either. Sure, it was kinda happy, but I had my own issue. My parents divorced when I was 8 and my brother was 2. It was very difficult with them fighting over us all the time for custody. And it didn't help that I was an outcast in school and had few friends. It was very confusing, very hard, and very lonely," I recanted.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that," he told me and squeezed my hand and smiled faintly.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile.

"You're welcome," he replied. A long quiet moment passed as our hands stayed connected and a surge passed through. The moment was interrupted when a nurse came in and saw me.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you be making your rounds and taking care of other patients?" the nurse asked.

"What?" Mr. Kaiba and I demanded in surprise.

"I should report you for slacking off…" the nurse replied.

"And I should report YOU for saying that to her," Mr. Kaiba retorted irritably and glared at her.

"What do you mean?" the nurse asked.

"She's not a nurse, stupid!" Mr. Kaiba snarled.

"Then why is she wearing scrubs?" the nurse demanded.

"She was covered with paint and a nurse gave her scrubs to wear, what the hell do you think?" Mr. Kaiba shot back and glared harder at her. "Get the hell out…" he commanded dangerously. The nurse looked at him nervously and left.

"Stupid nurse…" Mr. Kaiba muttered.

"No kidding…" I agreed surprised. "Thanks…for sticking up for me," I told him with a small smile.

"No problem," he shrugged. Unfortunately, there were a few other stupid nurses who tried to get me to do nurse duties for other patients…until they found out I wasn't one, thanks to Mr. Kaiba.

"God, these nurses are so damn incompetent…" he grumbled.

"No shit," I agreed. "I'll be right back. I need to go report them," I told him and let go and got up. "Don't go nowhere."

"I won't, but I'm not sure I can say the same about you…Nurse Robinson…" Mr. Kaiba joked. I rolled my eyes and left his room and found a doctor walking by.

"Yes?" the doctor demanded annoyed. I narrowed my eyes irritably. "Well, nurse, what do you want?"

"Yeah…that's the thing I wanted to talk to you about…I. AM. NOT. A. NURSE!" I hissed. "Tell your staff to leave me the hell alone! I'm here visiting a patient and a nurse gave me scrubs to wear since I was covered in paint!"

"Oh, right, you're the woman who was on the news covered in paint," the doctor said as he began to recognize me.

"Nah, really?" I shot back. "I ought to sue you bastards for negligence! Your nurses tried to drag me away from my boss and they tried to force me to do nurse duties! If I had done those duties, I could have killed someone!" I snarled, my brown eyes blazing viciously. The doctor then seemed to realize what a grave mistake that would be. "I'm sure the patients would be so happy to know that the staff here let some stranger wearing scrubs and no medical experience kill their family members or friends."

"We are terribly sorry, miss," the doctor apologized.

"Yeah, y'all BETTER be. If it happens again, I'm suing!" I declared and marched back to Mr. Kaiba's room.

"Hey Nurse Robinson," Mr. Kaiba joked. I gave him a rueful smile.

"If they mistake me again, I swear I'm going to sue them for negligence…" I told him.

"Why?"

"You saw how they tried to force me to work. I could have killed someone…" I replied.

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good…" Mr. Kaiba agreed.

"I tried to report the nurses to a doctor I had found, and he thought I was a nurse too!"

"These people are so incredibly dense," Mr. Kaiba remarked.

"Mhm." Another awkward moment ticked by. "So, how are you feeling?" I asked groping for anything to take the awkwardness away.

"I'm feeling better, well enough to come home tonight," he replied nonchalantly.

"That's good. Mokuba missed you," I told him.  
"I missed him too," he replied. Just as he said that, Mokuba appeared.

"Missed who, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"You, of course," Mr. Kaiba replied with a smile. Mokuba smiled back and hugged him a moment.

"How are you feeling big bro?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm feeling better. I should be coming home tonight," Mr. Kaiba answered.

"Awesome! I can't wait!" Mokuba grinned.

"How was school Mokuba?" I asked.

"It was pretty good," Mokuba replied with a smile and gave me a quick hug. I smiled and hugged him back. We listened as he told us about his day, and then he and I did our homework together.

"So, how was your day off guys?" Mokuba asked after we had finished our homework.

"It wasn't so bad, but Misty sure had a hell of a day," Mr. Kaiba answered.

"Oh? What happened?" Mokuba asked and looked at me curiously.

"Well, to start off, this," I replied and showed him the tabloid. "Then your brother's bimbo fangirls threw a bucket of red paint on me as I got out of the limo. I almost killed them. I was on the news about it too. I came into the hospital covered in red paint and looking like a demon, and as I spent time with your brother, a nurse came by and gave me some scrubs to change into. I scrubbed as much of the paint off as I could and changed into the scrubs. Then as we were just hanging out in here, a few nurses came in and tried to make me do nurse duties! Even a doctor immediately thought I was a nurse and tried to make me work. I swear, if any more nurses come in here and try to force me to work as a nurse, I'm going to sue the hospital for negligence and putting a person with no medical experience to work on patients," I recanted.

"Wow, you had a hectic day," Mokuba remarked and gave me a hug. I hugged him back. Just then the doctor came in and looked at Mr. Kaiba's chart.

"Well Mr. Kaiba, it looks like you're recovering well," The doctor announced.

"I am. Now would you please release me so we can go home?" Mr. Kaiba demanded.

"Certainly," the doctor replied and removed Mr. Kaiba's IV. "Go ahead and get dressed and the nurse will be in to wheel you out," the doctor replied.

"I can walk," Mr. Kaiba protested.

"Hospital policy mandates we roll patients out of the hospital in a wheelchair," the doctor explained.

"Alright…" Mr. Kaiba agreed reluctantly. The doctor then left the room and Mokuba and I followed after him to give Mr. Kaiba some privacy to get dressed. We waited outside in the hallway for about 5 minutes before we were allowed back into the room to wait. About 10 minutes later, a nurse came with a wheelchair and Mr. Kaiba reluctantly sat in it. I made sure we had everything before Mokuba and I walked alongside the wheelchair.

We got to the entrance and Edward helped us get settled into the limo before getting in and driving to my apartment.

"I bet our work is going to be overflowing tomorrow," Mr. Kaiba declared.

"Probably, but at least we'll be there to help. You're not supposed to get too stressed," I reminded him.

"I won't," Mr. Kaiba assured me nonchalantly.

"Yeah, you're just saying that so I'll get off your back," I countered.

"No I'm not," Mr. Kaiba retorted defensively. I raised my eyebrow scrutinizing him.

"Promise?" I hissed and stuck my hand out for a handshake. I was relieved when he shook my hand and a smile spread across my face. "Good."

"Hey Mokuba, look what Misty got me," Mr. Kaiba changed the subject and showed his brother the card. Mokuba started chuckling as he read it and smiled at my drawing.

"That's awesome Misty!"

"Thanks Mokuba," I beamed. "I figured flowers were too girly for him," I added with a grin.

"Yeah, too girly for Seto," Mokuba agreed and chuckled.

"Oh, hey, are y'all going to be alright with dinner?" I asked changing the subject.

"We'll figure something out. We'll probably just get some takeout," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"Alright," I replied.

It wasn't long before we got to my complex. "Alright, guys. I'll see you two tomorrow! Mr. Kaiba, stay relaxed. Mokuba, you look after your brother," I instructed in a motherly tone.

"Will do," they swore in unison. I smiled, grabbed my things, and went up to my apartment.

"_Say it," my inner self commanded._

"_It," I retorted._

"_Say you're in love with him," she responded rolling her eyes a little. I sighed. "Come on, say you love him," she prodded._

"_Alright! I…am…in love…with…Mr. Kaiba…Happy?"_

"_Very!" my inner self exclaimed and did a victory dance. "He loves you too! I can hear the bells!" _

"_I told you, it's too soon!" I retorted irritably. She was ignoring me._

"_You two will be so happy!" she predicted. _

"_Too soon…" I repeated firmer this time. _

"_I can't wait!" she squealed. _

"_I know," I replied with an eye roll and sat on the couch and turned the TV on, but my mind was thinking about the time we spent together today, the way he smiled and laughed at my card, the way he squeezed my hand when we talked about our past, the way he stood up for me to the nurses, and the way he joked around with me. Now all I had to do was wait. _

"_I want you to leave me alone until he asks, understood?" I demanded. "I caved in to your nagging, now it's time for you to shut up for a while."_

"_Fair enough. I'll talk to you later," she replied with a smile. Finally…some peace. _

~Seto's POV~

I woke up this morning not feeling so well. It was a very strange feeling, especially since I had a fairly restful night last night. There was no way I would let myself miss work today; I never missed work even if I wasn't feeling well. I knew it worried Mokuba, but there was so much to do. I ignored how I was feeling and went to go take a shower, but as I showered, my stomach ached. I groaned and went to get dressed and ready. Mokuba woke up and started getting ready, but he seemed to pause when he looked at me.

"What?" I asked as he stared at me.

"Are you alright Seto? You seem like you're getting sick again," he observed concerned.

"Do I? All I feel is a trivial stomachache. It should go away after we eat," I assured him.

"Okay," Mokuba replied, but he wasn't convinced. We ate our breakfast together and started heading out for school. Once we got to Mokuba's school, Mokuba lingered a bit, still looking concerned.

"I'll be fine Mokuba. Have a good day at school, okay?" I asked and gave him a brotherly hug.

"Alright Seto. You have a good day too. Don't work too much," Mokuba instructed.

"Alright," I agreed and he went inside. As Edward drove me to campus, I still felt my stomach hurting, if not a little worse. This was going to be hell today if this pain kept up and kept getting worse. I went to class, paying only half attention to the lesson, but enough to get sufficient notes.

"Dude, you don't look so hot…" one of my groupmates pointed out. "You alright?"

"Fine…just fine…" I insisted stubbornly. Just like Mokuba, he raised his eyebrow skeptically, but dropped it. Finally, class ended, and I went to wait for Misty as usual, and as usual, she and her girlfriends were at the back of the pack.

"Hello Misty, Hello ladies," I greeted politely as I rose.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba," her friends greeted politely.

"Hey Mr. Kaiba," Misty greeted with a polite smile I couldn't help mirroring. I was a little glad to see her especially since she would help me immensely with the work today, and thankfully my pain went away for a minute.

"Come on Misty, let's get to work," I told her and led the way to the limo and waited for her to get in. Once she got in, I sat next to her, and the ache started to return, but was barely noticeable now, but I DID notice she seemed a bit jumpy right now.

"So, what's on the agenda today? I know we have to practice, but what else do we have to do?" She asked. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but look at her like she had 2 heads- she seemed really eager to get to work. I honestly couldn't help but feel quite relieved she wanted to take on more work; it would make getting through today so much more bearable.

"Well, we need to return some calls, do the usual paperwork, deny some proposals, and work on plans for Battle City, the tournament next month," I listed.

"How about I handle the phone calls, paperwork, and the proposals?" She volunteered. I couldn't help but gape at her in surprise and blink. Wow…she had never volunteered to do so much work before. I was extremely curious as to what was going on. Was I hallucinating, or dreaming? The ache returned just to show me this was real.

"Uh…sure…what changed?" I asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked innocently. I was not in the mood for her to be playing dumb…

"You're offering to do more work than you usually do," I pointed out.

"Is that a crime? You're welcome," she retorted sarcastically. Well, at least the rest of her was the same.

"Thank you…but you've never asked for more work before," I replied.

"I'm ready for more work now. I had to get a feel for the system here. I also have a quick question."

"Yes?" I asked curiously.

"Why are we denying the proposals? What are they for?" I had to admit her curiosity was irresistible.

"They're just ideas for the duel disks and things to have in Battle City; they won't work," I calmly answered, trying so hard to ignore my pain that was beginning to resurface.

"Have you tried them out?" she asked.

"No, but…" I began but Misty cut me off to my surprise. I really didn't like the ideas and when I calculated the logic in my head, they would not work out.

"But nothing. You have no idea if they even would work or not," She protested with her arms crossed. Uh-oh…she's starting to get mad.

"It's my technology and my tournament. I want them to work a certain way," I argued irritably. Great…I didn't want to fight with her about my logic. I could almost see her looking like an angry dog growling at me.

"Granted, but that sounds selfish and change resistant. These ideas could make what you've got better, and you SHOULD test them out, and if they don't work then you can give the people behind these ideas the benefit and dignity of a response why they don't work and how they can improve. Wouldn't you want a response on an idea you had? How would you feel if you got a flat rejection without a reason why? At least with a response, these people will not get discouraged and will keep thinking. Don't we live in a creative society where ideas move it forward? Your testers could test these ideas out for you and keep records then respond later. Be fair," Misty shot back with a smoldering fire in her chocolate eyes. I was surprised she got so feisty with me not testing the ideas out and not implementing them in MY tournament. I had to admit, a lot of my ideas had been rejected too by Gozaboro, and it still stung me.

"I didn't mean to offend you," I told her backing off slightly. I REALLY didn't want to fight with her on this.

"Hey, I'm a creative spirit too. I know I want feedback when I finish a painting, drawing, or a story so I know what to keep doing and what to fix for next time. Feedback leads to growth and development," Misty explained. Well, at least that made sense.

"_Nothing like Misty's logic to keep you in line, eh?" my inner self teased, giving me a mental nudge. _

"Alright, alright, I'll hold off on the proposals and deal with them later, with a response, and you can take care of the calls and the paperwork. I'll have much less of a headache if you can finish those for me," I answered slightly irritated, especially as the pain resurfaced harder this time. I was also starting to feel a bit warm all over, as if I were outside in summer weather.

"Hey, are you okay?" Misty asked concerned. Not again…I was getting really tired of people asking me that.

"Just a trivial stomachache. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," I assured her, but this wasn't a trivial stomachache; if it had been, it would've been gone long ago. I just wanted her to drop it. Like the others, she raised her eyebrow skeptically as she looked at me.

"Okay…" Misty replied unsure of what else to say. We got to Kaiba Corp and my pain was starting to get unbearable, so I didn't really care if any employees made any mistakes today. Once we got up to my office and the door was shut, I heard Misty giving me light applause.

"Bravo!" she cheered.

"What's that for?" I asked curiously and winced as the pain got sharper.

"I'm proud of you. You're making tremendous progress with your anger management," Misty remarked with a smile.

"Thank you…" I replied trying to smile a little back. At least she was impressed with my anger management efforts. Misty smiled back slightly, but I could see in her eyes she looked a little worried.

"If you're feeling sick, you should get some rest," Misty advised in a matronly tone. I could totally see her morph into an older, motherly woman wagging her finger at me. So much for dropping it. I didn't want her or anyone to worry about it. I'll deal with it on my own!

"I told you not to worry about it! I'm fine!" I snapped.

"You say you are, but you haven't really let go of your stomach since we were in the limo," she pointed out. Damn…there was no way to get her to drop this.

"Just work…" I hissed through my teeth trying to bide this pain that was getting sharper and sharper, and made me start getting warmer and warmer.

"I will, but first I want you to promise me you'll see a doctor if that pain doesn't go away," Misty commanded.

"Fine! I'll see a doctor, now let's get to work…" I growled and pulled a chair up for her at my desk and moved the phone towards her and the list of numbers and the reasons behind each call. I briefly explained some possibilities of what to say in response if any issues arose. Thank God she was here to take care of these calls for me; I never would have been able to make it through a few of the calls. I knew she was extremely capable of handling customers, so I left her alone and went to work on Battle City stuff and setting up the rules and procedures for the tournament. It was extremely difficult with my pain, but I felt some relief listening to Misty's voice having a pleasant conversation with the customers on the other end, and also from seeing her challenging herself with the paperwork. She looked up and met my eyes then went back to work.

"Am I entertaining to you?" Misty as she worked.

"Yes, actually. I'm quite impressed at how you managed to keep your cool with those idiot customers," I admitted. Even if I was well, that was my impression of those customers and I dreaded doing the phone calls because the people frustrated me so much with their incompetence with a simple system.

"Not everyone is as technologically savvy as you or the next person. I at least can relate to and understand them," Misty replied slightly defensive. At least she was able to relate to them. I should really have her do the phone calls from now on.

"Alright. Now let's go practice," I announced and started leading her to the private arena. "Are you ready to go against the computer?" I asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Misty shrugged. "How are you feeling?" she whispered. It was stupid of me to think she would have let this go.

"Slightly better," I whispered back. I did feel just slightly better, but I doubted it would be for much longer.

"Okay," she replied unsure of what else to say. We got to the arena and I programmed the dueling computer to give her an easy opponent to start with. I smirked because I knew she would make mincemeat of who I chose, once she got the hang of dueling against the computer, and I was glad she finally had a worthy challenge. Granted, I was quite impressed she could beat me in practice, but at least this would keep her mind sharp.

"Here, this one should be just a warm-up for you. This deck you're about to duel belongs to the yapping chihuahua known as Joey Wheeler. Here's a tip…stay sharp and ignore his pointless drivel. Just keep your deadly focus like you did with me," I instructed and then went to sit on the front bleacher to watch. Of course, the pain had returned as sharply as ever, if not sharper, and I felt even hotter. I could see Misty catch fire as she dueled against the computer and seemed to be struggling to get used to it, but the intensity of her determination to beat it fueled the fire blazing around her and through her.

"Misty, remember the computer is exploring all possibilities to win so you'll be prepared for anything. Don't disappoint me," I called out. Misty nodded and then resumed blazing. Unfortunately, she lost the first time, but after a few times it was like watching her beat me over and over again.

"Yes!" she exclaimed after she won again.

"Good, but don't lose when it comes to the real thing on the first try. There are no do-overs like here," I coached. She turned to face me and growled. She looked like a wolf on fire.

"Excuse me, you can cut me some slack and shut the hell up! I haven't dueled much before recently if you recall. Not bad for a newbie, right?" Misty hissed.

"Right. Let's keep practicing," I agreed. I struggled to get up from my seat and then programmed another slightly harder opponent for her and then resumed sitting. Oh no…the pain in my stomach felt like it was stabbing me like a serial killer and I was so hot I could barely concentrate.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I heard a pop and then felt the worst pain I had EVER felt and fell to the floor and rolled around as tears started pouring from my eyes. Misty was immediately at my side and she fished her phone out of her pocket and I could hear her talking frantically to the 911 operator. GOD! THE PAIN! I continued screaming as the pain wouldn't go away. My stomach burned and felt like a million knives had stabbed and the knives were getting deeper and deeper. The next thing I knew I was being carried as I continued screaming into a brighter room with a lot more people. Everyone just looked so damn blurry!

"Mr. Kaiba!"I heard Roland exclaim.

"Roland, I'll need you to tell Mokuba to go to the hospital once he gets off from school," Misty instructed, but it sounded so far away. Why did time have to feel so damn slow? Why wouldn't this pain end? The next thing I knew, I saw people in blue-gray jumpsuits picking me up and putting me on a sort of bed and wheeling me out. I had no idea who these people were. Where was Misty? I felt a familiar hand holding mine and I squeezed tightly, desperate to stay connected to that familiar surge. I managed to focus on Misty and her eyes, but I was still scared I would be lost if I didn't hold onto her hand.

"Misty! Don't leave me! Please! Stay!" I commanded frantically as I squeezed her hand with a death grip and screamed again as it felt like more knives were being stabbed into my stomach.

"I'm right here Mr. Kaiba," Misty assured me as the people in the blue-gray jumpsuits put me in a bright metal box. I was so glad Misty didn't let me go once. I heard one of the people in the blue-gray jumpsuits mutter something as they looked me over.

"Misty…s-stay…with…m-me…" I begged and continued to squeeze her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. Hold on. You're going to be okay," she assured me softly. Her promise was very comforting, but it did not help the agony. More minutes ticked by slowly, but at least Misty was here, that's all that mattered. I could see an atmosphere around her that was an incredibly bright white and gold light. Was I dying? Was she turning into an angel before my eyes as I screamed and writhed in pain? I could see her sprouting big, silvery feathered wings, and a gold light ring appear above her head. The next thing I knew after that, I was moved to a bigger bed and I saw lights above me going so fast, until we were in a slightly darker room with bright lights in a circle. I saw masked people in white surrounding me and one of them talking to Misty. The next thing I knew, she had let me go, and the masked people in white were yanking off all my clothes and covering me with a paper sheet except for my stomach. Where the hell was Misty? What was going on?

"Misty! Misty where are you?" I demanded frantically. I relaxed when I felt the familiar squeeze in my hand again.

"I'm right here Mr. Kaiba," Misty said softly. I felt a little better having her back squeezing my hand; the current that passed between our hands felt so relaxing. One of the masked people in white stuck a needle in my arm and put a mask over my face. Soon, my eyes had felt really heavy, and I was surrounded in darkness and put into the bizarre dream world. Thankfully, my dreams were pleasant and non-fantasy related. As long as Misty held my hand and that current passed between us, I was relaxed.

A while later, I felt the current stop, and I got worried because my dreams seemed to take a sharp turn towards nerve-wracking. Where did she go? She couldn't have gone far, but it still made me nervous. I relaxed a little later when I briefly felt a light current pass through my hand, and the warmth of her presence returned. I felt so much more relaxed now. A few minutes later, I just couldn't stay asleep and I blinked as there was a light over my head. It wasn't too bright, but it was bright enough to sting a moment. I looked around and saw myself in my own hospital room. How did I get here? Everything felt so fuzzy.

"Wha-what's going on?" I asked groggily as I started taking everything in.

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed and latched onto my side in a huge bear hug. I had to admit I was caught off guard by the big bear hug.

"You had to have an emergency appendectomy. You almost died," Misty replied stoically. Mokuba clung to my side crying, relieved I was okay. "Easy Mokuba," Misty said gently and put her hand on his shoulder. Mokuba reluctantly let me go and then stood by her side. I was shocked. How could I have had appendicitis? All of a sudden there was a rush of memories flooding over me like a huge tidal wave. I remembered feeling miserable ALL day and then the pop, my scream, the hallucinations, and feeling like I was so very hot…and I was alive, thanks to Misty.

"Thank you, Misty," I told her gratefully.

"You're welcome," Misty replied with a nod. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I had to get your wallet out so I could use it and Mokuba's help to fill out your information to have you admitted. Here it is," Misty explained and got my wallet out of her purse and handed it back to me. She was uncharacteristically serious, but I could at least see relief in those deep chocolate eyes. She seemed like she was trying to stay serious so as to curb the overflow of emotion that threatened to spill out like a waterfall. I then realized I was wearing just a hospital gown, I felt a bit of a breeze, and…I was a bit hard. Oh God…this was embarrassing. I hoped she didn't notice…

"It's fine…" I replied tersely and slightly irritably. I was busy trying to deflect her attention away from me. I was so embarrassed I couldn't look her in the eye, and I could feel my cheeks grow warmer.

"Seto? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Mokuba asked. I continued to refuse to look at her.

"I'm fine Mokuba…" I answered irritably still trying to keep my face hidden.

"Why are you hiding your face then?" Mokuba asked. As if to explain why without words, I looked at Misty then away again.

"Why are you so embarrassed by Misty?" Mokuba demanded.

"Why am I only wearing a hospital gown?" I demanded back. I felt her eyes glance. Oh great…Mokuba, I love you, but why did you have to embarrass me like that? How was I going to face her now? Though I was surprised she didn't seem bothered, but she just understood.

"The surgeon had to remove your clothes. They're here at the foot of your bed," Misty answered nonchalantly. "So you know, I watched the surgery." My eyes popped wide and my jaw dropped. DAMMIT! SHE SAW ME NAKED! DAMMIT! I DIDN'T WANT HER TO SEE ME NAKED!

"You'll catch flies," she reminded me and gently tapped my jaw. I clenched my jaw and glared at her.

"_Why are you so pissed?" my inner self asked._

"_SHE SAW ME NAKED!" I growled at him. _

"_So?" he asked. _

"_So I'm completely humiliated right now!"_

"_Why?" _

"_Because she could figure out someway to use that against me!" I snarled back at him. _

"_HER? USE IT AGAINST YOU? Yeah right…" my inner self replied dismissively. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, you wouldn't let her go."_

"_How do you know?"_

" _I could feel the current too. Only she produces that current," my inner self explained. _

"_I…just didn't want her to see…I wasn't ready…" I admitted to him._

"_Well, not like you can do anything about it now. And she'll probably forget about it, especially if she felt awkward too."_

"_You think so?"_

"_Yes! Now drop it…" my inner self commanded._

"I didn't see anything… you didn't want to let go of my hand, so the surgeons handed me a smock, shoe covers, a mask, a cap and I put those on while the surgeons removed your clothes and covered you except for the patch of skin they were going to work with. I held your hand, and they finished and I went to take care of your paperwork when I saw Mokuba. Relax," Misty explained calmly. I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me as she explained that to me.

"_See? You were making a lot out of nothing," my inner self pointed out. _

"_I guess I was," I admitted sheepishly to him._

"_Now you need to thank her for staying. She made sure you were okay," he prodded. _

"Th-thank…y-you…for staying…" I managed to say. I had to admit, I was glad she had stayed with me the whole time. There was no way I could ever repay her for what she did.

"You're welcome. Oh, by the way, the doctor says you have to stay until at least tomorrow, stay relaxed and stress free, and that you need a liquid to semi-solid food diet," Misty relayed.

"Alright…" I replied, not knowing what else to say. I frankly didn't care about the stupid diet or instructions I got just now. I also was still a little embarrassed about wearing only a hospital gown and still being hard with her around. What else could I say?

"Well, I suppose I should be heading home now and let you rest and recover. Mokuba can stay over at my apartment if he wants to," Misty offered. There's something he'd enjoy. Even though he was extremely loyal, I doubted he wanted to spend the night in this hospital room being so worried all night. At least he'd be safe with Misty and she'd distract him from his worries.

"Sure! I'd love to come over!" Mokuba eagerly accepted. Misty looked at me and I gave her a consenting nod.

"Alright," Misty agreed with a smile.

"Edward can take us home, I'll grab my stuff, and then he can take us to your apartment! It's going to be great staying over tonight! Oh, Misty, I just need to talk with Seto for a little bit first before we go. I'll come get you from the waiting room, okay?" Mokuba asked.

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you," she replied and smiled before walking out of the room.

"So, what did you want to talk about Mokuba?" I asked. He glared at me coldly.

"DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN! I was really worried I had lost you today!" He retorted and hugged me again.

"I didn't plan on having appendicitis," I replied. It wasn't like I was psychic, like someone I knew…Misty…

"Still, what would I have done if I had lost you?" Mokuba demanded. "I…I don't want to go back to that orphanage!"

"You won't. I'll make sure you'd be well taken care of. Do you honestly think I'd leave you in bad hands?"

"No…" Mokuba admitted.

"Alright then. The fact is, I'm alive and still here, aren't I?"

"Yes…" Mokuba replied. "But only because of Misty," he pointed out. "She was the only one who helped and she stayed with you the whole time."

"I know Mokuba," I replied calmly. My heart surged as I played the memory of today again in my head and she had always stayed except for now and when she went to have me admitted. I even remembered my hallucination of when she was so white and bright and she started to grow wings.

"She's an angel. You better find a way to hang onto her as much as possible or we'll lose her," Mokuba advised. I couldn't bear the thought of her deserting us. I was surprised at how he mentioned that, almost as if he had read my mind.

"I know Mokuba," I agreed.

"If anything were to happen to you, knock on wood it doesn't happen, I'd want you to make Misty my guardian," Mokuba told me. I was stunned at how out of the blue that came from him.

"Wow! Where did that come from?" I asked.

"All the stuff that happened today," Mokuba answered. He had a point. She really was the only one we could truly trust, and with how she usually acted with him, he'd be in the best hands.

"Alright, knock on wood something doesn't happen, but I will make her your guardian if anything were to happen to me," I promised. I felt a bit of a burden lift from my chest when I promised that, like I knew he'd be okay no matter what. Mokuba smiled at me.

"Thanks bro," Mokuba hugged me, then grinned. "But it would be much easier if you were with her."

"As if you never let me forget," I bantered playfully. Mokuba chuckled.

"Never. I won't be satisfied until you and her are together," he replied.

"There's no guarantee she'll say yes. I'm still a little nervous about asking her out like I said I would," I admitted.

"Don't be. It'll happen. She really cares for you, as if today wasn't enough to prove it," Mokuba replied. That was actually a bit of a relief to hear.

"I guess so," I agreed.

"Why were you so embarrassed with her earlier? Why did you get so mad with her?"

"I was...worried she saw…me naked…" I admitted. God that was so hard to say.

"I doubt she would've cared very much today," Mokuba replied.

"Well, the only women we've come in contact with aside from her have mostly all been the bimbo fangirls…who would have made a BIG deal about that…"

"If she was anything like the bimbo fangirls, you wouldn't have hired her nor cared about her in the least bit," Mokuba retorted.

"And if she had seen me, it might have changed how she acted around me…she would probably act weird around me," I replied.

"I think she was more worried about you being okay, but I guess I see your point," Mokuba replied.

"Thanks, but I guess you're right too," I admitted.

"Wow…you admit I'm right?" Mokuba retorted incredulously.

"In this case…" I replied and gave him a half smile. Mokuba gave me a smile back.

"I'm so glad we found Misty," Mokuba said gratefully.

"Me too, Mokuba. I'm glad you suggested we find an assistant and that we didn't give up," I agreed. He beamed proudly.

"Well, you needed help and there was only so much I could do. Work was taking you away from me, and I missed you," Mokuba replied and hugged me.

"I missed hanging out with you too," I replied and ruffled his hair. "Now that Misty's such an immense help, I can get way more involved with you." Mokuba grinned widely and hugged me even more.

"Speaking of Misty, I suppose I should go get her from the waiting room," Mokuba announced.

"Alright. You be good for her tonight," I instructed.

"Of course I will Seto," Mokuba assured me. "You make sure you get rested up," He prescribed.

"Will do Mokuba," I answered and he left the room. A bit later, a nurse brought me some soup and some tea for dinner. Since the nurse was there, I asked if she could help me get to the bathroom. She held out her hand and helped me stand and then moved my IV cart around so I could move. She stayed nearby and helped me walk to the toilet and turned her back for me. I felt so much better once I finished and washed my hands and the nurse helped me back to my bed.

"Thank you," I told her gruffly.

"You're welcome," she replied nonchalantly and gave me a brief smile and left the TV remote on my bed table, and then she left to take care of other patients. I ate my dinner that was left for me, and it wasn't the greatest, but it would suffice. I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until something halfway decent came on to watch. I felt a bit restless just sitting in bed doing nothing. At about 10 p.m. the news came on and there was a brief bit about me having appendicitis and being taken to the hospital. I wasn't paying attention to what was being said especially as I was more focused watching Misty. I vaguely watched the rest of the news and then just watched another random show. I saw a large group of people carrying all sorts of gifts and balloons for someone sick or injured, walking past my room. I had to admit I was a bit surprised I hadn't received anything, not even from my supposedly devoted bimbo fangirls. They carried on and acted like they were my girlfriends, but sure, I get deathly sick and they're nowhere to be found.

"_Maybe they JUST heard," my inner self reasoned. "And what do you care anyways? You don't care about them at all, and the people who you do care about and matter to you were here already," he added. _

"_Yeah, you're right…" I agreed. "They were here," I added to reassure myself and did feel a bit better about Mokuba and Misty being here with me and actually being worried. _I watched TV a while longer before deciding to turn it off and go to sleep. As I slept, I had a disturbing dream. _I dreamed that Misty had been running an errand for me while I was in my office, my appendix burst and she came back about 15 minutes later, but by then it was too late- I was dead. My soul had floated up and watched as she started freaking out and tried to revive me, but she couldn't and then just broke down crying in my office. The dream warped to a later time- my funeral. I was dressed wearing a white suit and blue silk shirt and tie in my casket. Even my face looked contorted with rage. I looked around at the crowd of mourners. I only saw Mokuba, Misty, Roland, Edward, and my other most loyal employees. I narrowed my eyes at the Loser Squad that had just shown up, and Joey looked absolutely smug and like he was dressed to dance on my grave after I was buried. Then the bimbo fangirls had shown up and overdramatically cried over my open casket. Misty then put herself between my casket and the bimbo fangirls and started fending them off of me with a demonic fire in her eyes. She fought them off until they realized they had nothing to gain and started leaving. I had to admit I was impressed with Misty defending me, and I saw her and Mokuba break down together and comfort each other. I could feel my heart tug as I watched them, and it tugged harder when they gave heart-wrenching eulogies they could barely contain their emotions through. I think I even heard Misty say she had started falling for me. I practically kicked myself irritably as I realized I had missed my chance. I watched them as they closed the casket. At the graveyard, I watched them linger by my grave tossing flowers in as the gravediggers started burying my casket. I saw a red wormhole appear in the ground and black ghostly smoke figures popped up and grabbed onto my soul and started pulling me into the red wormhole. I started screaming, when a white light flashed and released me, then I woke up with a start in my hospital room. _It was just a nightmare! Thank God! I panted heavily relieved and a nurse came to my room.

"Mr. Kaiba? Are you alright?" the nurse asked.

"Just…a…bad dream…" I answered. She seemed satisfied and left me alone. I lay awake in bed for a while before I fell asleep again with more unnerving dreams and me waking up with a start every time.

"_Hey," I thought, trying to nudge my inner self awake._

"_Yes?" he asked._

"_Are you putting those freaky dreams in my head?" I demanded._

"_No. It's your paranoia run amuck," he retorted. "I had nothing to do with that."_

"_Would you do me a favor?" I asked._

"_Depends on the favor," he answered in Marlon Brando voice._

"_Could you put the fantasies back in my head?" I asked reluctantly. I got silence in return._

"_Are you serious?" he finally asked._

"_When am I not?"_

"_Touché," he answered. "But still, you're actually asking me to put those fantasies about Misty in your head?"_

"_Yes! I want to sleep peacefully," I retorted crabbily._

"_Alright, your wish is granted," he replied. "As soon as you fall asleep, you'll fantasize about Misty again," he promised. _

"_Thank you," I answered. _

"_You're welcome," he replied still slightly surprised. I let my heavy eyelids sink and as promised, there she was wearing a scandalously revealing angel outfit, lying next to me, caressing my body. Mmm…much better. I was finally able to get restful sleep. _

I woke up late the next morning feeling very well-rested and in a good mood. The nurse brought me my breakfast which was a bit more solid than dinner was, and she helped me up to the bathroom, but other than that, there was nothing going on. I was going to be positively bored until I'd get to see Misty and Mokuba later. I couldn't help but feel very excited to see them, but I was especially excited to see Misty. I watched TV with hardly any attention for a few hours. I was snapped out of my trance when I heard some commotion downstairs, and some fierce yelling that sounded familiar. Was I so bored that I was imagining things? I looked at the time and I realized that HAD to have been Misty yelling downstairs. I was quite curious as to what was going on. About 10 minutes later I was surprised when I saw her stomping into my room looking like a demon covered in red paint and an expression that meant murder for anyone who crossed her path.

"What the hell? What happened to you?" I asked as I was trying to get over the surprise at her appearance.

"Your bimbo fangirls threw paint on me as I got out of the limo…" She grumbled and roughly put a paint splattered envelope and coffee cup on my bed table.

"Why?" I asked surprised. What did she do to them that they went psycho and threw paint on her?

"This…" She replied and threw a tabloid down, still reeling about the stupid bimbo fangirls throwing paint on her. I gasped as I saw the tabloid and started reading the story. This was probably on the news last night, but now I knew what the news had been saying.

"Damn it all!" I snarled.

"My thoughts exactly," Misty agreed gruffly. At least she and I were on the same page.

"Great…now our reputation has been knocked down a few pegs…" I grumbled. This was an intense headache I did NOT need…

"Our?" Misty asked surprised. Oh, I hadn't realized I had said "our" but I was too mad to care what I said.

"Yes, our. Mine because there's pictures of me looking weak and scared, and yours because everyone seems to think we're sleeping together because you cared and acted quickly and nobody else would…'with so many enemies having serious frostbite from Seto Kaiba's temper, it is a wonder anyone would be willing to step up for him. His assistant, Misty Robinson, was the only such person. In his frightful state he demanded she 'stay with him.' Various sources at Kaiba Corp. say 'she's changed him so much. He's a lot calmer since she's been here. It's likely she's sleeping with him.' If that's the case, sorry ladies, you've got no chance with him now.'" I explained and read. Misty seemed VERY angry now and was ready to blow at any slight provocation.

"At least you're not painted out to be a slut, or a skanky bitch," she remarked dryly.

"It's just as bad…My reputation has been tainted. I worked so hard to build that up so nobody would dare walk all over me, now I look weak…" I retorted defensively.

"Well, your rep could've been knocked even lower…you could be dead right now…" she retorted sharply. "You at least look human like everyone else," she added. "I'm painted as a slut for caring and acting quickly…" Misty hissed and was trembling."We know the truth, we know the truth, we know the truth…it's all lies…" she chanted to help calm herself down, but her fists were still clenched. I realized she was very upset to have been painted as a slut or a "skanky bitch". She took pride in being modest and respectable. To show my sympathy for her, I held my hand over her fist to help calm her down and relax. I felt the current course through our hands again and she seemed surprised, but her hand relaxed.

"Thank you," Misty said with a half smile.

"You're welcome." Just then, the news came on and there was footage of her with the paint thrown on her and going up to the bimbo fangirls ready to kill them like a rabid, angry wolf. I was transfixed as I watched, and I had HUGE respect for her as she brazenly stood up for herself in my honor snarling my thoughts at them.

"Wow…" I remarked. "I have never seen anything like that before…" That was actually quite hot…

"_I'll say…" my inner self agreed. "Damn…"_

"I wasn't going to let them get away with that…" Misty remarked coolly.

"Still very impressive," I replied.

"Thanks…you should…drink your coffee…before it gets cold," Misty answered changing the subject. I had forgotten ALL about the coffee cup and envelope she had practically slammed down in anger on my bed table. I smiled touched at the gesture.

"_There's the sentiment and the gift you were looking for yesterday," my inner self pointed out. _

"Thank you…" I said and took a cautious sip of the coffee and quickly downed it. I was a bit cautious because I wasn't sure if any of the paint had gotten in it, but I was satisfied it was just plain coffee exactly the way I liked it. "It cooled a bit, but it's just right," I told her with an appreciative smile she mirrored. She really was paying attention to me. I felt my heart thud a bit.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Misty replied. I then started opening the card and read it and actually laughed a little. She had gotten me a funny card, just like the ones she was reading when I gave her a second chance in the greeting card aisle. I also noticed she had drawn a small, Chibi Blue Eyes White Dragon wearing a cowboy hat, chaps, spurs, and a holster with a pistol, and I couldn't help smiling at it.

"_She's meshing you and her," my inner self observed._ I felt my heart jolt again. She was combining me and her… She was thinking about the chance of us being together too.

"Did you draw this?" I asked as I pointed out the Chibi Cowboy Blue Eyes White Dragon. I knew she did, but I couldn't stop myself from saying it.

"Yes. I figured it would make you smile and cheer you up," Misty replied with a smile. She seemed happy that I was cheered up a bit.

"It is cute," I admitted and smiled, making her beam proudly. I was definitely going to save this card forever. I still had the thank you card she gave me; she was the only one who'd ever given me thoughtful cards.

"I thought so too. I figured you wouldn't go for flowers," Misty told me jokingly. I was very glad she was at ease and in a humorous mood now.

"No, not a big flower person…too girly," I agreed. She really did know me very well.

"Of course, you have to stay masculine…You don't want to appear weak in front of your subjects," she teased and chuckled. I responded with a half-smile at her joke as I recalled the whole tabloid thing.

"I think the tabloid did that enough already," I retorted.

"That they did."

"Thank you, for visiting, and making me smile," I replied. I really was glad she had come and made me smile and laugh; I really needed it.

"A bit out of character for you," she remarked. I shrugged. I didn't care if I seemed out of character; I was in a good mood…which was now tainted with her observation.

"Nobody else is here, except you, so I can do what I want," I retorted. If anyone else was here, they would not be seeing me smile or laugh, but she had truly earned it.

"I guess you're right," she agreed. Just then a nurse walked by in the hallway and saw her.

"Oh dear…you poor thing…Here, let me get you some scrubs to change into," she said with a kind smile and disappeared and came back a couple minutes later with some extra scrubs, and a trashbag for Misty's ruined clothes. Misty then took the scrubs and trashbag with her into the bathroom to change when my usual nurse came in just as she had shut the door.

"Let's see how that wound is doing and get you cleaned up," she replied. She got her stuff ready and was starting to take my hospital gown off when I heard the bathroom door open and heard Misty gasp. Oh great…did she see? I looked and saw she had gone back into the bathroom, and I smiled as she was giving me some privacy. The nurse had stripped my gown off of me and I felt weird being naked in front of her, but she remained professional and nonchalant as she looked at my wound, changed dressings, and cleaned up my body. I sort of wished Misty was the one cleaning me up, but whatever. My nurse had finished with me, put a fresh hospital gown on me and took the dirty one and rolled her clean up cart out of my room. Just as my nurse had left, Misty had come out wearing the scrubs and had her hair wrapped up in towel, looking like a sheik. I smirked at her ridiculous appearance.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You look ridiculous with a turban," I remarked.

"And you look ridiculous in a gown," she countered playfully. Well, she had me there…

"Touché," I conceded. She sat down in the chair next to him and I just could not help staring at her. I don't know why…I guess it was because she was so irresistible to look at.

"Take a picture, it will last longer," Misty quipped.

"Where's my phone?" Misty rolled her eyes. I sort of wanted to take a picture with my phone again and save this picture of her with a ridiculous turban on her head, just to look at. I remember the first time I took the phone out and took her picture…she looked surprised and annoyed after I had. I had gone back and looked at it every so often, and I couldn't help but smirk a little as I remembered her peeved expression.

"Oh no you don't…" she retorted. "So, what gives? Why are you being so jokey today?" she asked curiously. Didn't I just answer that? Was it that much out of character for me to have fun with her?

"I told you already, nobody else can see so I can do what I want, and I feel like being jokey," I retorted slightly irritably. "Do you not like it? Do you want me to stay crabby?" I snarled. Fine…I try to lighten up and have fun, and she doesn't like it…

"No, I do like it, but it's just something different from what I'm used to that I have to get used to," she replied. Well, at least she did like it when I was lighthearted and fun, but I was still a little peeved she had asked me again.

An awkward moment passed when I noticed she seemed uncomfortable about something.

"Um…" she began.

"What?" I asked. I got nervous when she took a deep breath. It had to be serious if she seemed uncomfortable talking about it.

"Mokuba told me about your and his past," she answered.

"He did?" I exclaimed in surprise. Wow…Mokuba told her our most intimate detail only he and I knew. He must REALLY trust her. Neither of us wanted to divulge that detail as it was extremely painful for both of us, but he told Misty about it. I wasn't sure if I liked her knowing, but now that it was mentioned to her, there was no way to escape the memories and pain that resurfaced.

"Yep. I'm so sorry, that you had to endure all that torture and agony…" Misty said sympathetically and put her hand on mine to show that she cared. She did look kind of sad.

"I don't need your pity," I hissed. I hated pity…and she was giving me just that right now. I didn't want people feeling sorry for either of us; nobody showed us any sympathy or felt bad for us before, why should I let them now?

"It's not pity. It's sympathy. I can't imagine how hellish that must've been for y'all. I wish I had been able to help," Misty replied. I looked into her chocolate brown eyes and saw a bit of regret there for not being able to help.

"Well, you couldn't," I snapped bitterly. Oh great…there was a tear welling in my eyes now. I forced myself to make it subside.

"I would have if I could have," She whispered. I felt my nerves prick up. She really did want to help and she seemed so sad that she couldn't have. "I would have adopted both of you, or insisted someone I knew to adopt you both when you were younger," She added gently. I couldn't help but tense up. I felt touched that she seemed really genuine about adopting us. She squeezed my hand a little and I felt comforted by the gesture. But with further thought, I wouldn't be allowed to feel the way I do about her, and I think I liked that better than if she were my adoptive mother. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have a very peachy childhood either. Sure, it was kinda happy, but I had my own issue. My parents divorced when I was 8 and my brother was 2. It was very difficult with them fighting over us all the time for custody. And it didn't help that I was an outcast in school and had few friends. It was very confusing, very hard, and very lonely," Misty recanted. That was actually kind of sad. Her family was broken up roughly at the same age, more or less, as mine was and we were sent to the orphanage. And to not have very many friends must've been harder.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that," I said sympathetically and squeezed her hand and smiled faintly at her. I couldn't believe we had even more in common than I thought.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

"You're welcome," I answered. A long quiet moment passed as our hands stayed connected and the current passed through, almost welding us together. It felt so right and I didn't want it to end. The moment was ruined when a nurse came in and saw us.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you be making your rounds and taking care of other patients?" the nurse asked.

"What?" Misty and I demanded in surprise. What the hell was the nurse talking about?

"I should report you for slacking off…" the nurse replied.

"And I should report YOU for saying that to her," I retorted irritably and glared at her. How dare she try to get Misty to work! Misty didn't work here.

"What do you mean?" the nurse asked.

"She's not a nurse, stupid!" I snarled. It really was stupid! How could they mistake Misty for a nurse?

"Then why is she wearing scrubs?" the nurse demanded. Oh right, I forgot she was wearing scrubs.

"She was covered with paint and a nurse gave her scrubs to wear, what the hell do you think?" I shot back and glared harder at her. And I was madder that she had to ruin the moment with her stupidity. "Get the hell out…" I commanded dangerously. The nurse looked at me nervously and left, obviously realizing that if she didn't leave, hell was going to break loose.

"Stupid nurse…" I muttered.

"No kidding…" Misty agreed surprised. I'm sure she was caught even more off guard than I was. "Thanks…for sticking up for me," she said softly with a small smile.

"No problem," I shrugged. Unfortunately, there were a few other stupid nurses who tried to get her to do nurse duties for other patients…until they found out she wasn't one, after I yelled at them.

"God, these nurses are so damn incompetent…" I grumbled. To think a kind gesture of a nurse offering a clean change of clothes because Misty was splattered with paint would set off a chain reaction of sheer stupidity.

"No shit," Misty agreed. I couldn't blame her for being so pissed off and frustrated right now. "I'll be right back. I need to go report them," she announced and let go and got up. "Don't go nowhere," she commanded playfully. I smirked at her command.

"I won't, but I'm not sure I can say the same about you…Nurse Robinson…" I jibed back. Misty rolled her eyes and left the room. I only hoped the stupid nurses didn't drag her off and make her work.

"Hey Nurse Robinson," I joked relieved when she returned a few minutes later. I actually liked the sound of that…her being my personal nurse. It actually sounded kind of…sexy. As payment for my joke she gave me a rueful smile.

"If they mistake me again, I swear I'm going to sue them for negligence…" Misty announced.

"Why?" I asked surprised, but I could probably guess.

"You saw how they tried to force me to work. I could have killed someone…" she replied gravely. She did not look happy.

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good…" I agreed. I'd hate to have that on my conscience and my hands if I were in her shoes.

"I tried to report the nurses to a doctor I had found, and he thought I was a nurse too!"

"These people are so incredibly dense," I remarked. Now I felt really comfortable…not. I couldn't believe it was just the nurses being stupid, but a doctor too. I'd have to find another hospital if the nurses and doctors would believe any given person wearing scrubs was one of them and make them work and that said person they forced to work actually killed someone.

"Mhm." Another awkward moment ticked by. "So, how are you feeling?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"I'm feeling better, well enough to come home tonight," I replied. I was actually eager to go home especially now.

"That's good. Mokuba missed you," she informed me.

"I missed him too," I replied. I really did miss my brother's company.

"Missed who, Seto?" Mokuba asked. I smiled as I saw my brother had just appeared.

"You, of course," I answered. Mokuba smiled back and hugged me.

"How are you feeling big bro?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm feeling better. I should be coming home tonight," I answered.

"Awesome! I can't wait!" Mokuba grinned. I couldn't help but smile again.

"How was school Mokuba?" Misty asked.

"It was pretty good," Mokuba replied with a smile and gave her a quick hug. She smiled and hugged him back. It was such a sweet scene watching them hug. Misty and I listened as he told us about his day, and then he and Misty did their homework together. I never got tired of watching them do their homework together; Misty cared so much about him, and the more I watched the more I could see why Mokuba wanted me to be with her so badly.

"So, how was your day off guys?" Mokuba asked after they had finished their homework.

"It wasn't so bad, but Misty sure had a hell of a day," I answered and looked at Misty.

"Oh? What happened?" Mokuba asked and looked at her curiously.

"Well, to start off, this," she replied and showed him the tabloid. "Then your brother's bimbo fangirls threw a bucket of red paint on me as I got out of the limo. I almost killed them. I was on the news about it too. I came into the hospital covered in red paint and looking like a demon, and as I spent time with your brother, a nurse came by and gave me some scrubs to change into. I scrubbed as much of the paint off as I could and changed into the scrubs. Then as we were just hanging out in here, a few nurses came in and tried to make me do nurse duties! Even a doctor immediately thought I was a nurse and tried to make me work. I swear, if any more nurses come in here and try to force me to work as a nurse, I'm going to sue the hospital for negligence and putting a person with no medical experience to work on patients," she recanted irritably.

"Wow, you had a hectic day," Mokuba remarked and gave her a comforting hug. Just then the doctor came in looking at my chart.

"Well Mr. Kaiba, it looks like you're recovering well," The doctor announced.

"I am. Now would you please release me so we can go home?" I demanded. I was getting more irritable by the moment the longer I stayed in this hospital with the incompetent staff.

"Certainly," the doctor replied and removed my IV. "Go ahead and get dressed and the nurse will be in to wheel you out," the doctor replied.

"I can walk," I protested, but wasn't actually so sure I could.

"Hospital policy mandates we roll patients out of the hospital in a wheelchair," the doctor explained.

"Alright…" I agreed reluctantly. I didn't want to let them, but I'd have to. The doctor then left the room and Mokuba and Misty followed after him to give me some privacy to get dressed. I took my gown off and carefully slipped my clothes back on, and Misty and Mokuba came in about 5 minutes later.

About 10 minutes later, a nurse came with a wheelchair and I reluctantly sat in it. I didn't like not being able to walk out on my own, if I could, and the fact that this was one of the nurses that tried to make Misty work. Misty walked around making sure that we had everything that belonged to us before she and Mokuba walked alongside the wheelchair.

We got to the entrance and Edward helped us get settled into the limo before getting in and driving to her apartment.

"I bet our work is going to be overflowing tomorrow," I wagered. I was NOT looking forward to that workload. Misty probably should have gone to Kaiba Corp., but I was more glad she visited me.

"Probably, but at least we'll be there to help. You're not supposed to get too stressed," she reminded me in a motherly tone.

"I won't," I assured her.

"Yeah, you're just saying that so I'll get off your back," she countered. She was giving me the look that said she didn't believe a damn word I said.

"No I'm not," I retorted defensively. She raised her eyebrows, eying me intensely, like she was trying to see through me.

"Promise?" she hissed and stuck her hand out for a handshake. I thought it was strange how she wanted a handshake and she was making me promise that I wasn't just saying I wouldn't get too stressed. I shook her hand to appease to her strange gesture, but one of those pretty smiles appeared when I had. "Good."

"Hey Mokuba, look what Misty got me," I changed the subject and showed Mokuba the card. Mokuba started chuckling as he read it and smiled at her drawing.

"That's awesome Misty!" he complimented her.

"Thanks Mokuba," she beamed. "I figured flowers were too girly for him," she added with a grin. There was her playful nature again.

"Yeah, too girly for Seto," Mokuba agreed and chuckled.

"Oh, hey, are y'all going to be alright with dinner?" she asked changing the subject. I was surprised.

"_She's offering you dinner! Accept! Accept!" my inner self demanded. _

"We'll figure something out. We'll probably just get some takeout," I replied.

"_Idiot," my inner self remarked with a facepalm. _

"_Sorry, I just couldn't say it," I replied._

"_Why not?" he demanded._

"_Just didn't want to say yes right now. I didn't want to impose on her," I replied._

"_Liar! You're scared!" my inner self accused. I ignored him. _

"_You know it's true," he accused. _

"Alright," she replied.

"_Great, now you've insulted her. She was offering you dinner and you refused!" my inner self groaned. _

"_She doesn't look insulted," I pointed out._

"_How do you know?" _

"_She wears her heart on her sleeve, so to speak. I can tell when she's sad, angry, happy, jokey, teasing, etc. She's so obvious when it comes to emotion." That seemed to shut him up. _

It wasn't long before we got to her complex. "Alright, guys. I'll see you two tomorrow! Mr. Kaiba, stay relaxed. Mokuba, you look after your brother," she instructed in a motherly tone.

"Will do," we promised. She flashed us another smile, grabbed her things, and went up to her apartment. As soon as she went inside, Edward started driving us home.

"So, Misty told me you told her about our past," I said to Mokuba.

"Yep. I told her," Mokuba admitted nonchalantly.

"Why?" Mokuba looked at me annoyed.

"She deserved to know. I was extremely grateful to her for saving you and the fact she was the ONLY one to care about us in years without an ulterior motive, and she had to know the effect she has on us. THAT'S why I told her," Mokuba explained. "And I also told her because she's the only person we've trusted and I knew she'd keep that information private." Well, I guess that made sense.

"Alright, that's fine…" I agreed dismissively.

"So, I think she's really liking you even more," Mokuba declared with a smirk.

"Oh?" my curiosity was piqued and I felt excited.

"Yeah. Did you see the way she looked at you today? Did you see the drawing in the funny card? She spent all day with you, she offered us dinner tonight, she defended you and almost killed the fangirls, she was REALLY worried about you, and she seems more at ease. Plus, she told me a secret," Mokuba answered with a Cheshire cat grin.

"What's this secret?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I probably shouldn't tell you," he replied cautiously.

"Come on, please tell me?" I implored.

"I shouldn't…" he declined reluctantly.

"Tell me," I commanded gently, looking directly into his eyes. I could see excitement bubbling there. "I can see how excited you are about it. It's ready to bubble over."

"It would ruin the whole thrill for you…" he replied.

"Thrill of what?" I asked confused. "Just tell me." Mokuba sighed.

"Alright…fine…she said she would go out with you…if you asked her yourself…" he replied and looked relieved. My heart jumped excitedly.

"She really said that?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, but you have to ask her." That was no problem now, especially knowing she'd say yes. Oh the pressure of asking her was immensely less, but I was still a little nervous about it…I was still trying to figure out how to ask her.

"_It's not that hard. You've already resolved on where you'd take her for the date, and why she has to go. Just tell her you want her to accompany you to the gala, and if necessary remind her of her duties to attend professional functions with you and Mokuba," my inner self prodded._

"_I guess…"I agreed._

"So, what made her finally cave?" I asked Mokuba. I was dying to know why she had forsaken her oath to never date anyone from work.

"Me. I kept begging her for it and I told her how she's the only one able to put us instantly at ease and that you really do care about and think about her all the time, and I kept telling her that you, me, and her would make one happy family if she was with you, and she just agreed to it." Mokuba replayed.

"Nice work Mokuba," I complimented him. He beamed happily.

"Thanks Seto. I can't wait!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. He was practically bouncing he was so excited. I was excited too, but I still couldn't help feeling that dark shadow figure clawing at my mind.


	5. First Date

3 Days Later

~My POV~

It was a lot of work, but I managed to help Mr. Kaiba and Mokuba get back on track with their work. A few times, I had to get after Mr. Kaiba because he was stressing himself out. I could tell he was annoyed whenever I kept reminding him, but I gave him a hard look every time that told him I was not going to be fazed by his annoyed glare. Once he realized that we were back on track again, he started to relax again…until today; today he seemed REALLY nervous about something. As soon as he picked me up for work, he seemed flighty and wired today. I knew it wasn't his coffee fix that had made him so wired, since he was so used to its effects.

"Are you alright, Mr. Kaiba?" I asked as I was trying to figure out what this wiry energy was.

"I'm fine…" he replied tersely. I raised my eyebrow at him and scrutinized him.

"You suck at lying…" I told him. "Why are you so wired today? You're never this wired…" I pointed out.

"And it's not going to help if you keep asking me about it…" he snapped.

"Then stop being so wired," I retorted. He took a deep breath as if to try to calm himself down, but he was still wired.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" I prompted again. "The doctor told you not to get stressed out, and you're going to make yourself stressed if you continue to be so wired," I warned. He gave me a dirty look. "You know that has no effect on me." He scoffed at me and followed me into the limo and sat closer than usual to me.

"_Odd…" I thought as I realized he was sitting closer. My inner self smirked a little. "Don't start…" I warned her. _

"_What? I didn't say anything…" she replied innocently but continued smirking._

I was even more surprised when our hands touched on the seat between us and my body didn't react, and neither did he. In fact, his hand inched closer to mine, and I didn't mind when his hand rested against mine.

"_Are you doing this?" I demanded to my inner self. _

"_Nope!" She grinned. "It's ALL you. You're responding to his touch…LOOK!" She exclaimed suddenly and my hand had started interlocking with his, and I could see a slight smirk play at his lips, and I could feel him relax a bit as well as a surge passing through our connected hands. _

"_Whoa…there's that surge again…" I thought. I had recalled feeling it before, but now it was strong._

The limo ride to work was quiet, and suddenly my cheeks felt very warm, and I could see his cheeks turn a little red.

"_Oh! You two are blushing!" My inner self squealed excitedly. She was practically jumping up and down. _

I had to admit I was actually starting to enjoy the connection between us in the limo and was a little disappointed we had to separate.

"_Awwww!" my inner self exclaimed and giggled happily. _

_I gave her a slight scowl in response._

"We have a lot to do today, including practicing your dueling skills," he spoke suddenly, surprising me a little. I had gotten a little used to the quiet and only hearing my inner self converse with me, so the sound of his voice sent a little jolt through me.

"Sure, okay," I replied casually as we walked to his office together and I got right to work sorting out paperwork and handling clients on the phone. I noticed him watching me a little smiling a little, but he didn't talk to me, instead he got right back to work on his Battle City tournament stuff.

Later after the most pressing, high-priority work was done, he took me back down to the arena to practice my dueling skills against the computer. I felt my fire return as I started to get sharper and sharper against my computerized opponents. I looked over at Mr. Kaiba and he smiled proudly.

"You're getting sharper and sharper. Good job. You're going to be nearly unstoppable," he praised me. I beamed proudly and the passionate dueling flame within me seemed to glow even brighter as I dueled. After I had finished the practice, I sat next to him on the bleachers and smiled.

"Thank you," I told him.

"For?" he asked puzzled.

"Complimenting me," I replied with a smile.

"You're welcome," he replied with a small smile. We sorta stared at each other for a short while, and it was interrupted when I looked at the time and saw that it was time to go pick up Mokuba from school.

"Oh, look I think it's time to get Mokuba from school," I remarked and started to get up.

"No, we're not picking him up today," Mr. Kaiba replied.

"We're not?" I echoed confused. What was going on? We always went to get Mokuba.

"He's going over to his friend's house for a while. It's just you and me. We're going to finish our work, and then we're going to dinner," Mr. Kaiba announced.

"Oh…" I replied with a blush as I saw where this was going. He was taking me on a date.

"_Wow, he goes right for it," my inner self remarked. _

"_Yah no kidding," I agreed. _

"Let's get back to work," Mr. Kaiba commanded. Immediately I got up and followed him back to his office and we worked quietly and sort of awkwardly together. I still couldn't believe we were going on a date, and the fact I was okay with it.

"_I told you, I'm not going to let you resist," my inner self reminded me in a sing-song voice. _

Later…

"Let's go," Mr. Kaiba commanded. I noticed immediately he was nervous again since while he was locking the door to his office, his hand was shaking and he dropped his keys. "Damn…" he muttered and quickly swooped down to pick up the keys and locked the door. He was still nervous as he led me to the limo and followed me in.

"Why are you so nervous?" I demanded once he shut the door.

"I can't tell you…" he replied. I had to admit, I was a little surprised he of all people would be so nervous.

"_He's nervous about the date…he doesn't want it to go badly…and from the looks of it, he's never been on one before," my inner self theorized. _

"_You think so?" I asked. My inner self slapped me._

"_Don't be an idiot…it's obvious…Mokuba is with his friend tonight, he's taking you to dinner, he's nervous as hell around someone he's usually relaxed with, and he's always been busy until you came around," my inner self pointed out. "Cut him some slack, make him feel better," she commanded. _

"_How?" I asked. _

"_Hold his hand. He liked that earlier," she answered._ Obediently, I slowly inched my hand forward to his, and slowly started lacing fingers with his. He was surprised at first, but then squeezed his hand to mine. I ignored the fact that his palms were a little sweaty, and continued holding on. Immediately, I felt him relax a little.

"_Good Misty," my inner self told me. _

"So…where are we going?" I casually asked to break the awkward tension.

"Oh, just a good place I know," Mr. Kaiba replied just as casually.

"What kind of food?" I asked.

"Italian," he replied tersely and without looking at me directly.

"Ooh, Italian is good," I replied with a bit of a smile to help him. He smiled a little in return and glanced at me briefly.

"Yes, it is," he agreed, unsure of what to say. There was another awkward silence in the limo which was thankfully broken when we got to a Five-star Italian restaurant and he helped me out of the limo.

"Thank you," I told him with a polite smile and held hands with him again. He gave me a brief smile back and then opened the door for me and led me to the host. I felt people staring at the two of us and heard them murmuring about us definitely being a couple.

"Kaiba, table for two," Mr. Kaiba told the host.

"Right this way, Mr. Kaiba," the host told him and led him to the table. I heard a bunch of angry groans from the crowd follow us. I had to admit, I was very impressed with the décor here. There was a high ceiling with a HUGE chandelier hanging from it, and it was painted to look like Heaven with cherubs looking down at us. The walls were painted to look like windows looking out to the Tuscan countryside with rich golds, greens, reds, and oranges. The floor was made of smoothed cobblestones, and in the front and center of the restaurant was a huge fountain. The lighting was soft, yet bright, and there was soft Italian music playing in the background.

"Wow…" I remarked as I tried to take everything in. I'd never been in a restaurant this beautiful before.

"I knew you'd like it here," Mr. Kaiba spoke. I don't know why I was so surprised to hear him speak; I guess it was because I hadn't heard him say much today and he sort of snapped me out of my awed trance. The host led us to a quiet table where a bench wrapped against the wall, around the table, and we could close the curtain a little to shield us from nosy eyes. We sat next to each other and a waiter suddenly appeared at our table.

"Buongiorno, I am Paolo, your waiter for this evening. What can I get for you to drink?" Paolo asked as he handed us a wine list and a menu.

"We'll have some of your finest red wine," Mr. Kaiba ordered.

"Right away sir," Paolo replied and bowed and left the table. I scowled a little.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Kaiba asked when he saw my face.

"He didn't even ask for my drink order," I complained.

"And what were you going to drink?" he asked bemused.

"Probably a soda, or iced tea," I replied.

"I think wine is a better choice…it's…more romantic…I guess…" he replied hesitantly. And I hear Italians drink wine with dinner, and they don't have much here for soda," he replied.

"Oh, like you heard Texans were all cowboys with horses?" I retorted. He glared at me.

"I thought we dropped that and you forgave me for that?" He demanded. I sighed.

"You're right…I'm sorry." Now it was Mr. Kaiba's turn to look surprised. "What?"

"I don't remember you telling me that before," he remarked.

"We're square then," I replied.

"Right," Mr. Kaiba agreed. There was an awkward silence for a moment until Paolo returned with wine glasses and green bottle of wine with a label that looked like parchment and was from the year 2000. Wow. This was going to be some heady stuff…

Paolo poured us both a glass halfway full and put the bottle in a wine bucket with ice he set up in front of the table, then took out his pad for orders.

"What are you hungry for?" Mr. Kaiba asked me. We both scanned the menu and I was in the mood for spaghetti.

"I want some spaghetti," I answered.

"One large spaghetti plate to share," Mr. Kaiba ordered. Somehow this felt strangely familiar.

"Right away sir," Paolo replied as he wrote the order down and left again but returned with rolls and put some olive oil with some kind of spices on a plate for us then left. I looked up and saw there were a bunch of people staring at us. I could tell Mr. Kaiba noticed too because he got up and closed the curtain to our booth. I snacked on one of the rolls and oh they were so good!

"I need to ask you something," Mr. Kaiba announced as I took another bite out of my roll. I paused a moment and then swallowed the bite I'd eaten.

"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" I asked curiously. He got nervous again and started shaking.

"I wanted to ask you…to…a…gala….that's coming up…" he got out slowly.

"YES!" I blurted out loudly. I covered my mouth with my hands when I realized I was loud. I could hear light applause outside our booth; they must have thought I got proposed to and said yes.

"Really?" Mr. Kaiba asked in surprise. I nodded my head quickly with my hands still covering my mouth. Mr. Kaiba smirked a little.

"_I told you I was going to make you say yes if he asked…" my inner self gloated. _

"_You didn't have to make me yell it like that," I retorted to her. _

"_I didn't want to give you a chance to say no," she answered. _

"When is this gala?" I asked.

"Valentine's Day. I assume you have a dress to wear to this gala?"

"Yep. I have a purty red dress I'll wear, or a gold one, but I don't see why they're having a gala on a Tuesday…or what it's for," I replied.

"It's more or less just CEOs and their dates socializing with each other. I'm expected to attend because it's good for Kaiba Corp's image if I go… it's usually kind of boring, but at least now I'll have some good company." I gave him a little smile. He seemed so relaxed and at ease now, and even cool again.

"So, do you have a picture of you wearing the red or gold dresses you told me about?" He asked.

"Well, I do have a picture of me wearing the red one at home, in my senior scrapbook, and I have a picture of my gold dress here," I replied and got out my wallet and showed him my prom picture of me with my friend Danny. He studied the picture a good while.

"You look beautiful," he complimented me and looked at me a little. I couldn't help giggling a little.

"Th-thank you…" I replied feeling modest. He smiled a little at me. I couldn't help blushing just then and his smile widened just slightly, then he looked back at the picture. Paolo returned with a spaghetti plate that looked big enough for 3 people to eat. Another waiter put a plate in front of each of us, and Mr. Kaiba handed my picture back to me. I put it back in my wallet and back into my purse. Paolo put the spaghetti in the center of the table and then looked up at us and smiled.

"Congratulations to both of you," Paolo told us. Mr. Kaiba and I looked at him strangely.

"For?" We replied in unison.

"Your engagement," Paolo answered as if it were obvious.

"Engagement? We're not engaged," Mr. Kaiba answered slightly irritably.

"Yeah, we're not engaged," I confirmed.

"But there was some chatter about how you said you wanted to ask something, and she yelled out yes," Paolo explained. I knew it…everyone thought we were engaged. I could see the headlines now…

"We're not engaged…" Mr. Kaiba repeated, glaring a little at our waiter.

"My apologies sir, miss," Paolo apologized and left.

"I can't believe he thought we were engaged…why do people just assume things?" Mr. Kaiba asked irritably.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I replied with a shrug. I helped myself to some spaghetti and put it on my plate, and then Mr. Kaiba helped himself and put his spaghetti on his plate. We ate our spaghetti quietly, and then we were following a long noodle without thinking. The next thing we knew we had met up in the middle and our lips touched in a kiss a la Lady and the Tramp. We were surprised, bit off our own parts of the noodle where we had met up, and turned away blushing. We continued to eat the spaghetti, but there were a few long noodles and we kept having spaghetti kisses; each time we turned away blushing, but it was exciting all the same. We finished our spaghetti, but I still wanted to keep kissing him.

"_Did I hear your thoughts just right? You want to keep kissing him?" my inner self gloated. _

"_Shut up…" I replied, but she grinned hugely. _

"_What's stopping you?" she asked. _

There was another awkward silent moment, until Mr. Kaiba broke the silence again.

"So, who was that guy in your prom picture?" Mr. Kaiba asked curiously. I could tell he was a little jealous.

"That's just my friend Danny. I used to have a crush on him in high school," I explained. Mr. Kaiba stiffened up a little. Oh yeah…he was VERY jealous.

"Do you still have a crush on him?" He asked tensely. Oh yes…VERY, VERY jealous.

"Your eyes are starting to turn green with jealousy…" I teased.

"They are not," he insisted.

"Liar. Stop being jealous," I commanded.

"Answer my question. Are you still crushing on him?" Mr. Kaiba repeated. I sighed exasperated.

"No. Not anymore." I answered.

"Do you still talk to him?" Mr. Kaiba demanded.

"Once in a blue moon," I replied. He seemed placated, but something still bothered him. "What's bothering you now?" I asked with a groan.

"Have you had boyfriends before?" I sighed again.

"What is it with you and other guys?" I asked.

"I…want to see my rank…" he admitted.

"Lordy…" I replied with an eye roll.

"Well, have you or haven't you?" he demanded.

"Yes…" I answered. He seemed bothered.

"Tell me about them," he prompted, listening intently.

"Nothing to tell…"I answered with a dismissive shrug.

"Sure there is, tell me," he coaxed.

"No, there isn't. Drop it…" I commanded sharply and gave him a hard look. He reluctantly dropped the subject, but I could tell it was nagging at his mind. "You have nothing to worry about…stop being so jealous," I added and then kissed his cheek to his surprise. Just then Paolo had come back.

"Would you care for a dessert?" he asked.

"Could we have a tiramisu to share please?" I asked.

"Certainly miss," Paolo replied with a polite smile and then went back to go get the tiramisu. Mr. Kaiba was still frozen in shock and rubbed his cheek. He finally got his senses back and Paolo had returned with our tiramisu. We each took turns taking spoonfuls of the delicious, light, and rich tiramisu. It actually tasted sweeter sharing it with him. My inner self was tickled pink with delight. We finished the tiramisu and Paolo returned with the bill. Immediately Mr. Kaiba grabbed it up.

"Want me to pay my portion?" I offered.

"No. This is on me," He insisted as he dug through his wallet.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's on me. Don't ask again," he commanded.

"Okay…thank you," I said politely.

"You're welcome," he replied and put a nice tip on the table for Paolo and we went up to the cashier so he could pay the bill. After he paid the bill he offered his arm. "Shall we?" he asked. I smiled and snaked my arm through.

"We shall," I replied and rested my head on his shoulder as we left the restaurant and then started walking down the street in the orange-violet glow of twilight approaching. As we were walking down the street enjoying this somewhat intimate connection, a punk group of kids approached us. Immediately I tensed up for a fight as I sensed Mr. Kaiba's hatred for these strange looking punks. There was a short boy with REALLY spiky purple, blond, and red hair and an upside-down pyramid hanging around his neck on a heavy chain; a tall blond boy with brown eyes and an OBNOXIOUS accent; a tall boy with a brown unicorn horn pompadour; a skinny girl about my height with blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair; and a blonde chick who looked like a whore.

"Hey Kaiba," the short boy with the pyramid around his neck and the multicolored spiky hair greeted Mr. Kaiba.

"Yugi…" Mr. Kaiba replied growling, his blue eyes turning to ice. "What are you dweebs doing on this side of town?" That was the Mr. Kaiba I knew very well coming out.

"We'll wawlk anywhare we wahnt, KAIBA!" The tall, blond, obnoxious boy retorted. His voice grated on my nerves. He then looked at Mr. Kaiba's and my linked arms and that I was resting my head on his shoulder, and he sneered derisively at our connection. "Who's dis? Ya whore?" he asked.

I lifted my head from Mr. Kaiba's shoulder and let go of his arm. He did NOT just call me a whore!

"WHAT THE LIVING FUCK DID YOU CALL ME?" I snarled at him, my chocolate eyes blazing like hell's flames. Mr. Kaiba glared and growled at the boy.

"Yar Kaiba's whore! Only a whore would be seen awn HIS arm becawse of what an ass he is," the blond boy retorted. I snarled viciously like a wolf about to attack.

"You better watch it, Wheeler," Mr. Kaiba warned coolly.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do 'bout it?" "Wheeler" sneered.

"So, you're the yapping Chihuahua Joey Wheeler that Mr. Kaiba's told me about…"I hissed. He glared at me and growled. "That's not going to work on me. Where the fuck is your leash? Or your mistress's purse for that matter?" "Joey Wheeler" gaped at me as I said that.

"Oh you really ah Kaiba's whore!" he retorted. I slapped him HARD across the jaw. "Joey" looked at me in surprise, and I slapped him hard again. The brunette girl tried to separate us. I glared at her viciously.

"Who the fuck do you think you are touching me?" I snarled.

"There's no need for fighting…" she spoke, but I could tell she was nervous dealing with me.

"Ugh…I can't believe…I gaht slapped by a whore…" Joey remarked. I got even angrier.

"Joey! Stop!" "Yugi", the brunette, the unicorn horn pompadour dude, and the blonde tramp called out to him. I then marched to a dumpster near a shop that sold fancy purses and then climbed up and opened the lid. Joey guffawed loudly.

"Look Kaiba! Ya whore is nothin' but trash!" I bristled. He was REALLY asking for it now! I heard Mr. Kaiba snarling and the others were standing frozen as they watched. I found a purse that had lots of holes, was filthy, and reeked of trash. I grabbed it gingerly, jumped off the dumpster and marched back to Joey with a demonic fire blazing in my eyes.

"Nice purse. Looks good on a trashy whore like you…" Joey sneered.

"Oh this purse isn't for me…it's for you…" I retorted then quickly put the purse over his head and then started punching the bag on his head repeatedly and then did a strong kick to his gut, sending him into a wall. I watched ruby red blood droplets drip onto his shirt and I heard him groan as he sank to the ground. "NOW STAY LIKE THAT LIKE A GOOD MONGREL!" I commanded and then looked at the others.

"ANYONE ELSE WANT AN ASS-KICKING FROM THE SAN ANTONIO RATTLESNAKE?" I yelled.

"Let's get out of here!" The brunette girl yelled and she and the others quickly scattered, but Unicorn Horn Pompadour dude ripped the purse off Joey's head and then carried him off military style. I walked into the nearest shop and went to wash my hands, then returned to a frozen Mr. Kaiba standing there watching me with his mouth gaping open. I tapped his jaw gently.

"You'll catch flies," I gently reminded him.

"Wow…" Mr. Kaiba remarked. "Did that really just happen?" he asked.

"Yes it did…"I replied. "Sorry for looking like a monster…" I apologized shyly.

"Monster? You? Never." He replied. I looked up surprised. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen…"

"I wasn't going to allow him to call me a whore…" I replied modestly with my hands behind my back.

"I understand. You're too classy to be a whore," he replied with a smile. I smiled back.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," I replied and kissed his cheek lightly. He was surprised again and touched his cheek. When he recovered from his surprise, he came close to my ear and the sensation of his breath at my ear made me stiffen up.

"After that performance, you may call me Seto," he whispered. I blushed.

"_I knew it! He wanted you to call him by his first name soon!" my inner self gloated. _

"Okay, Mr.- I mean…Seto…" I replied blushing. I really had to get used to saying his first name; I was so used to calling him Mr. Kaiba; however, it felt so natural saying his first name.

"I like the way you say it," Seto whispered in my ear. I couldn't help blushing again."But, when we're at work, at company functions, and other places we have to be formal in, call me Mr. Kaiba," he instructed.

"Alright, Seto," I answered. I could see a bit of a twitch in him when I said his name again, but it was the good kind of twitch, the pleasure twitch. We stood in the street for what seemed like an hour, but it was only a couple minutes.

"Ready to go home?" Seto asked me.

"Sure," I replied with a shrug. Immediately he called Edward to come pick us up. While we waited, he slowly grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine, thus starting a surge within us again. Edward came and Seto opened the door and let me in first then followed me in and closed the door. He sat right next to me and resumed holding my hand. I slowly rested my head on his shoulder like how we were before Yugi and his punk friends approached us. It felt so right, and damn he smelled so good. We sat there in a comfortable silence until we got to my apartment. Seto and I got out and he walked me to my door.

"Thank you, Seto, for a nice evening," I said awkwardly as my cheeks were turning red again.

"You're welcome. Thank you…for saying yes…to the gala…and for beating up Wheeler," he replied. I couldn't help but chuckle at his mention of me beating the crap out of that loser as I fished the keys out of my purse and fiddled with them a little, half expecting a kiss…like in the movie Hitch. I saw Seto watching me fiddle with my keys, but then he turned around.

"Good night Misty…I'll…see you Monday…" he said and then started walking away upset with himself. I unlocked my door and I realized I didn't want him to leave just yet…I groped in my head for anything that would keep him here, and like a flash, something came to me. Thankfully, he was just at the bottom of the stairs.

"Seto wait!" I called out as I leaned over the balcony a little. Immediately he stopped and looked up at me with evident relief on his face.

"Yes Misty?" he asked.

"I forgot I was going to show you what my red dress looked like…want to come in?" I invited. My inner self smirked at me. I saw him smile, get out his phone and make a call, and then start coming back up the stairs as Edward started leaving. He was at my door in a minute with a cool smirk and then followed me inside. I closed the door after he entered.

"Make yourself at home," I invited with a warm smile. He smiled back and then sat on my couch as I went to get my senior scrapbook to show him how my red dress looked. As soon as I had opened it to the page I wanted to show him, I sat next to him on the couch.

"Here it is," I announced as I pointed to my delicate red chiffon Homecoming/Graduation dress with the delicate flowers all over it.

"It's a pretty dress," he told me coolly, but I noticed he couldn't stop staring at the picture. "But as nice as that one and your gold one are, I think I'd rather you wear a blue dress to the gala."

"Why blue?" I asked curiously. Blue for Valentine's Day? Not that there was anything wrong with it, but I personally think my red or gold one would have been better for Valentine's Day.

"Because you look best in blue, particularly turquoise," he answered quickly, but I saw him looking away and blushing.

"Oh I see…You want me to wear blue so I'd match you and so you can claim me as yours," I remarked. He froze as if I had hit the nail on the head. I could tell he was trying to form a response to my sharp observations, but he had nothing.

"Right…" he admitted.

"I don't recall agreeing to be yours, just that I'd go," I teased and smirked. He bristled a bit and looked at me.

"Please wear a turquoise dress…" he requested tensely.

"If I must," I agreed with fake acquiescence.

"Thank you. I'll give you some money and take you shopping to go buy one," he offered. That was awfully generous of him.

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously. Wow…he was really serious about me if he was offering to give me money for a dress and take me shopping. I never figured him for the shopping type.

"_He's ALWAYS been serious about you. Hello?" my inner self remarked. _

"Yes. I want you to look good, especially if you're MY date."

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're welcome." An awkward moment passed, but then I saw him looking at my paintings.

"I like your paintings," he said aloud.

"Really?" I asked with a broad smile.

"Yes, they're very nice," he complimented. I hugged him excitedly, and he was taken off guard, but he slowly hugged me back, still confused.

"Thank you! I painted them myself!" I exclaimed happily. It was always nice to hear someone compliment my art.

"They're very good. You're very talented," he complimented me. I felt so warm and happy.

"Thank you." I continued to hug him for another couple moments before letting go.

"Maybe you could paint one for me and Mokuba?" I lit up excitedly like the Las Vegas strip.

"Maybe," I replied trying to play it cool, but I was just so excited- my first commissioned painting!

"We'd hang it where everyone could see it," he promised. I couldn't stop smiling and feeling so proud.

"Thank you. What do you want it of?" I asked.

"Surprise me," Seto answered. I felt my heart swell with pride as he was giving me creative license. Oh! What to paint? Decisions, decisions. I had to make this painting incredible.

"Okay. I'll paint you something awesome," I promised. "Oh! Where are my manners? Would you like anything to drink?"

"I'm fine thank you."

"Alright. Um, want to watch TV?" I asked wanting to keep him here.

"Sure," he replied with a bit of a smile. I turned on the TV and found a good movie on TV and then curled up next to him on the couch. Seto then slowly and carefully wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I could tell he was nervous.

"_Ah, the classic slow wrap around the shoulder," my inner self observed gleefully. _His hand hung at my shoulder shaking with nerves. Immediately I came closer and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders tighter to hold me close.

"_Just like your fantasy last week," my inner self remarked teasingly._ I gave her a mental eye roll then I focused my attention on the movie with Seto. A little while later, a steamy love scene came on. I saw him turn his head away embarrassed and blush. I felt my own cheeks heating up too. This was so awkward watching this scene with him right here. It felt like forever until the scene ended. I sighed with relief…oh Lord. It didn't help I felt so turned on right now. We continued watching the movie until a few minutes later when another steamy love scene came on.

"Let me…change the channel," I said aloud and grabbed the remote.

"Please do," Seto agreed.

"_Smooth Misty," my inner self scolded me as I flipped through the channels._ There was nothing else on.

"Well…nothing else is on…" I remarked still red from embarrassment so I turned the TV off and breathed a sigh of relief. Another awkward moment passed, but then I found myself resting my head on his shoulder completely relaxed.

"Am I your pillow now?" Seto asked.

"Huh?" I asked as I glanced up and realized I was resting on his shoulder "Oh! I'm sorry…"I apologized and started scooting away.

"I didn't mind," Seto assured me. "It was kind of nice." That was a relief.

"Okay," I responded and scooted back to him. Immediately Seto wrapped his arm around my shoulder again. I come closer and our eyes met. I could feel something stirring inside me and come to my lips and make them burn with a desire to kiss him. I felt him caress my face gently.  
_"Go for it Misty," my inner self advised. "Kiss him!"_

_"Alright," I agreed._ I then kissed his lips and wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed him. He was caught off guard but then eagerly kissed back harder. The tip of his tongue caressed my lips gently trying to part them. I parted my lips for him and our tongues rubbed and caressed each other like two snakes dancing. He wrapped his arms around me tight and kissed me hard and hungrily. We only parted to breathe but then immediately resumed. My hands ran through his hair messing it up, and his fingers ran through mine, sometimes gripping it. He slowly pushed me back to lie on the couch and then continued kissing me. We were practically making out on my couch. I then felt him pressing into my body and he started kissing my neck. I had to push him away when I could feel his lips getting close to my collarbone and I could feel his hips lightly grinding against mine. He tried to continue but I pushed him away.  
"Stop! We…h-have to stop!" I declared panting heavily from the passion.

"Y-you're right…I-I-I should go…" Seto replied panting as he sat up and got off of me. I sat up too and followed him to the door.

"I'll…see you Monday," I bade with my hands behind my back as he opened the door.

"See you Monday," Seto agreed and lingered in my doorway. He gave me another quick kiss and then went downstairs and called Edward. I watched him from the balcony and saw him get into the limo 5 minutes later. I saw him look up at me with a smile, and I smiled and waved at him, and smiled wider when he waved back and then was gone. I went back into my apartment, shut and locked the door, and then sat on the couch and the shock caught up with me. I touched my burning lips.

"_Awww…my little Misty went into shock after getting her first makeout session!" my inner self gushed. I could not believe I just made out with my boss! I couldn't believe I almost let it get so out of hand to the point where we'd be taking off our clothes and having sex right here…I gripped my head in disbelief. _

"_Oh my God…" I muttered over and over as I realized that my body actually burned eagerly with the idea of having sex with him and being with him forever. My heart surged. _

"_Misty? You alright?" my inner self asked and gently nudged me. _

"_Oh my God…" I muttered again. _

"_Hello? Misty? Earth to Misty?" my inner self called out. _

"_I can't believe I just made out with him…It's so wrong…but it feels so right," I told her. _

"_Then why is it such a big deal if it felt so right?" my inner self asked. _

"_It's the principle!" I exclaimed. "I don't want to be a statistic of just another woman who slept with her boss! And I made a vow that I wouldn't sleep with anyone unless I was married to that anyone! You know that!" I exclaimed. _

"_Yes, but you do realize that he is your boyfriend and that it is perfectly acceptable to sleep with him if you CHOOSE to in this age?"_

"_What if he leaves me? I won't be able to forgive myself if I gave myself to him and he just ups and leaves me," I protested._

"_Honey, he won't leave you. He was the one who kissed you hard and pinned you to the couch while he did. He was nervous as hell around you today. He wants to see you again and again. There was a surge in your hands as y'all held hands. He held you close tonight. He claimed you as HIS by telling you to wear blue and that he was going to take you shopping and he never would do that for anyone else. And need I talk about everything else before today and what Mokuba said? You make him and Mokuba oh so happy. Why would he give up that happiness? And also if you do get married, he has an equal opportunity to leave you then, and then what would you do about that?"_

"_I'll have nothing to forgive myself for. I'd have fulfilled my vow," I answered._

"_But he won't leave you," she promised. That was actually good to hear. I felt immensely comforted knowing he'd never leave me."You've got yourself an awesome catch who's never going to leave you, and who Mom and Dad will push and push for you to marry. Seto's going to spoil you rotten and he's going to be like milk…SOOOO good for your body. Mmmm…" my inner self told me._

"_Go find yourself a room in the dark recesses of my mind…" I told her. _

"_Sorry…he has that effect on me because he strongly affects you that way," she replied. _

"_I suppose," I mentally shrugged. I took a deep breath. _

"_I can't believe my boss is actually my boyfriend now…" I remarked. _

"_Yeah," she sighed and smiled."Are you going to call mom and dad and tell them the big news?"_

"_I suppose I should," I agreed and then got up to pick up my phone. I don't know why I was shaking so badly._

"_You can do this," my inner self assured me. _

"_I know…but this is just so huge, and I can only imagine what mom and dad are going to say."_

"_Just tell them. It's exciting."_

"_Yeah. Here goes…" I replied and started dialing _home. My heart raced as the phone rang, remembering the steamy makeout session on my couch.

"Hello?" Mom asked. I jumped slightly.

"Hi mom," I greeted.

"MISTY! Hi!" Mom greeted excitedly. I couldn't help smiling as she greeted me like that. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Just calling to check in…and I have some news…" I announced.

"News? What kind of news?" Mom asked.

"I got my first kisses today. I have a new boyfriend," I replied as calmly as I could.

"Seriously?" Mom asked in surprise.

"Mhm," I responded.

"Well, give me some details!" Mom demanded eagerly. "Who is he? What happened?"

"He's VERY handsome, very tall and piercing, icy sapphire eyes, he's very wealthy, he has a little brother he'd do ANYTHING for, he's 7 months younger than me, and I saved his life…" I replied.

"Wow…" Mom remarked impressed. I smiled a half-smile. "…but…" Great. There was always a but… "You aren't dating him for money, are you?" There it was…of course Mom would ask that…

"No, Mom. I'm dating him because he and his brother care about me so much. I make them happy, and they make me happy." I felt my heart flutter as I said this.

"Alright…" Mom reluctantly replied. There was an awkward pause. "What's his name?"

"His name is Seto Kaiba," I replied. I braced myself for the sting I knew was about to come.

"Isn't that your boss?" Mom asked.

"Yes…" I answered. Here it comes…

"Misty! I told you not to fish off the company pier! What are you going to do if y'all break up and you have to see him everyday?" Mom demanded. I sighed as I dug my heels in taking the impact of that scolding.

"Mom…please do not start with me on this…I know…I REALLY tried so damn hard fighting it and avoiding it and so has he! But there was nothing we could do about the attraction; it was SEVERELY magnetic. And his little brother, Mokuba, was also pushing and pushing REALLY hard for us to be together," I explained. Mom sighed. I sighed too; I could tell she was a little disappointed with me. "I'm only human mom; I fought as hard as possible resisting it, but you can't deny STRONG natural chemistry and you can only stand so strong against someone pushing so damn hard, and I'm happy I gave in."

"Oh Misty…you aren't sleeping with him, are you?" Mom asked. It felt like a slap in the face.

"No mother! How could you ask me that?" I demanded.

"I just wanted to be sure…" Mom replied.

"How dare you ask me that! Mother, you should know me better than that!" I yelled, and something clicked. "You got a tabloid, didn't you?"

"Yes…I saw you on the cover, holding his hand and getting into the ambulance with him…and I got nervous. I bought the copy and read the story…"

"Mom! How could you believe that garbage? You should know me better than that!" I yelled.

"Misty, you've never had a real boyfriend before, and since he's your boss, I'm just worried he could be only after sex from you," Mom explained.

"Well he's not! Yeah, there's intense chemistry, but I told you, he cares for me. He's been nice to only me and his brother. He only lets me and his brother see the real him. He wanted me right there with him during his appendectomy. He would have died if I wasn't there," I protested.

"Just be careful Misty," Mom warned.

"Mom, trust me. I'll be fine. Let me experience this," I retorted.

"Okay. Now tell me about your first kisses," Mom prompted.

"He took me to dinner at a five-star Italian restaurant and asked me to a gala with him. I blurted out yes and everyone thought he proposed because they heard "question" and a loud, enthusiastic yes," I replied with a small chuckle. "We ordered a big spaghetti plate to share and some wine…"

"Wine?" Mom asked suspiciously. Of course she'd catch that detail considering the American drinking age is 21.

"Yes Mom, wine. The legal drinking age is 18 here," I explained. Mom sighed."Okay…continue," Mom prompted.

"We ate the shared spaghetti, and there were a few long noodles…like Lady and the Tramp. Our lips met, we both blushed…each time it happened. After dinner, he showed me he was a bit jealous by asking who the guy in my prom picture was. I showed him my prom picture so he could see my gold dress. I told him it was Danny and he asked if I still talked to him, and about my past. I told him there was nothing to tell and he should stop being jealous and kissed his cheek. He was so surprised. Then we shared a tiramisu," I told her.

"Oooh! A tiramisu!" Mom exclaimed. I giggled.

"I knew you'd like that," I told her. Mom chuckled a little. "Then we went walking, and a punk bunch of kids approached us and one of them called me a trashy whore for being seen with Seto the way we were. I beat the crap out of him and they all ran away."

"Misty! You could get in so much trouble for that!" Mom scolded me.

"Seto won't let that happen. He was actually so amazed I beat him up that he told me to call him by his first name," I explained. Mom sighed again.

"He may not be there to bail you out next time…"

"Depends on the situation, Mom. Anyways, he brought me home, and as he was leaving, I invited him in to show him my Homecoming picture, and then he told me he'd give me money and take me shopping to get a better dress so we'd match. He complimented my paintings, and we watched a movie on TV. It was embarrassing when a…love scene came on. I flipped through the channels and there was nothing else on, so I turned off the TV. A moment passed, our eyes met, my lips burned, he caressed my face and I kissed him. He kissed back harder, then we were making out heavily on the couch. I pushed him away when it got too intense, and he agreed we should stop. I saw him off and on his way out, he kissed me and then left," I recanted.

"Wow…" Mom remarked.

"Yeah…"

"Just be careful Misty," Mom warned.

"I will…How's Wes doing?" I asked changing the subject.

"He's doing fine. He's with your dad," Mom replied.

"Cool. Well Mom, I gotta go, but I'm glad we talked." I told her.

"Me too. Miss you. Don't be a stranger," Mom told me.

"Alright Mom. Miss you too. Love you."

"Love you too, bye," Mom bade and hung up. I sighed heavily.

"_That went well," my inner self said. _

"_Well enough," I replied. "I could've done without that accusatory tone…"_

"_Yeah. Now it's time for an even more tiring conversation…Dad…" _

"_Thanks for reminding me…"I retorted sarcastically and sighed again as I dialed Dad's number and waited for him to pick up. He picked up on the 3__rd__ ring._

"Hello?" Dad asked.

"Hi Dad," I greeted.

"Hey Misty! How's my baby girl?"

"I'm good, Dad."

"What's up kiddo?" I paused bracing myself.

"I have a VERY handsome, wealthy boyfriend," I replied.

"WHAT?" Dad asked.

"I have a boyfriend," I repeated.

"I told you no boyfriends until you're 30! You're not 30, you're 18," Dad retorted.

"I know, Dad." I groaned. This was going to drive me nuts.

"You do know you have to bring him home to meet me," Dad said with a slightly maniacal chuckle. I could actually hear a smirk in the sound of his voice.

"Yes, I know. Be nice!" I commanded. Oh great…Seto was going to run now…

"_No he's not," my inner self assured me. "He's intimidated many men before and even made them cry. He has the cojones to stand up to Dad," she added. She was right. _

"I can't wait to show him all the mounts on the walls! I guess I'll have to make room for him on the walls if he hurts you." I groaned.

"He won't. He and his little brother care too much for me to want to even think about hurting me," I replied.

"Still have to show him what will happen. I'm going to enjoy interrogating him." I groaned again.

"Dad! I want you to be nice!" I demanded irritably.

"I'll be nice if he passes my interrogation," I sighed heavily.

"Dad, I'm fixing to hang up…" I threatened.

"Don't hang up on me. You still have to tell me who this guy is and why he's worthy of my baby girl."

"As long as you quit talking about a firing squad interrogation," I shrewdly bargained.

"Alright…" Dad sighed with dramatized exasperation. "Man! See how you are…taking away my fun…"

"Dad…enough."

"Alright, tell me all about him. I'm all ears."

"He's VERY handsome, very tall, has brown hair and piercing, icy, sapphire eyes, he's wealthy, 7 months younger than me, he'd do ANYTHING for me and his little brother, and I saved his life," I described.

"How'd you meet him?"

"He's my boss…"

"You're dating your boss? MISTY! I thought we raised you better than to be dating or sleeping with your boss!" I screamed.

"I DID NOT SLEEP WITH HIM! EVERYBODY NEEDS TO STOP ASSUMING I DID! I CARE ABOUT HIM AND HE AND HIS BROTHER CARE ABOUT ME! THEY MAKE ME HAPPY!" I started tearing up I was so angry.

"Don't yell…" Dad commanded calmly.

"Why…are you…assuming that? Why…does everyone…believe that trash they read? You should…know me better than that!" I said shaking with tears and rage.

"Alright Misty, calm down, I'm sorry," Dad said calmly. I took a few deep breaths.

"I can't believe my own family thinks that way about me…" I replied hurt. "I care about him and his brother and they care about me. I feel happy. He'd take good care of me, Dad!" I insisted.

"I still have to see for myself," Dad declared.

"Alright…" I sighed tiredly. "Dad, I'm tired, I've got to go."

"Alright Misty. Love ya, babe," Dad told me.

"Love you too, Dad," I replied and hung up. I felt extremely exhausted.

"_IM your friends," my inner self suggested. "They won't judge you."_ I smiled. That was a good idea. I got online and IMed the girls and dished about how great my night was and that Seto was now my boyfriend. They were impressed and excited for me. I felt so much better telling my girlfriends about this.

"_Alright, now that we had our fun telling about the cute and steamy kisses today, but you probably should keep everything else private," my inner self told me. _

"_Yeah, but it was my first kisses. That's worth talking about. The rest will be private," I assured her._

"_Good." _

Later, I went to bed and as I fell asleep, my mind was replaying the makeout session on my couch again and again…and the possibility of where it could have led. I didn't mind. He was my boyfriend now, and it felt right.

~Seto's POV~

It was a lot of work, but thankfully Misty had helped me and Mokuba get back on track with our work. A few times, she had to get after me because I was apparently stressing myself out. I was annoyed whenever she kept reminding me, but she gave me a hard look every time that told me she was not going to be fazed by my annoyed glare. It was getting old every time she did that, but I knew she was just helping me stick to the doctor's orders. There was just so much work I had to catch up on and do, it was hard NOT to get irritable and stressed; however, once I realized that we were back on track again, I started to feel relaxed again…until today. Today I was REALLY nervous because tonight I was going to take her out to dinner and ask her to the gala, and I'd never been so nervous before, except for when I had to duel like hell. I couldn't believe SHE was making me nervous and there was hardly anything scary about her, except her fierce temper. I mentally chuckled at that.

"_Amazing that SHE can do that to you isn't it?" my inner self remarked._

"_Yeah, it is. I never thought a woman could do that to me," I told him. _

"_Women are interesting creatures," he replied. _

"_ESPECIALLY this one," I agreed. "No other woman is as interesting as she is."_

"_I suppose. Well, good luck!" he bade and left me alone with my wiry, nervous energy. _When I got Misty for work today, I could tell she, of course, had picked up on my nervous energy. Nothing ever escaped her.

"Are you alright, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked.

"I'm fine…" I replied tersely. She raised her eyebrow scrutinizing me.

"You suck at lying…" she told me. "Why are you so wired today? You're never this wired…" she pointed out.

"And it's not going to help if you keep asking me about it…" I snapped. I just hated when she couldn't drop subjects so easily, and it was only going to make me more nervous if she was going to bring up my nervousness.

"_You shouldn't snap at her; she's only concerned. Her concern saved your life last time," my inner self advised me._

"_I'll keep that in mind," I grumbled. _

"Then stop being so wired," Misty retorted. Easy for her to say… I bet she'd be nervous too if she was in my shoes right now. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, but it didn't help.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Misty prompted again. "The doctor told you not to get stressed out, and you're going to make yourself stressed if you continue to be so wired," she warned. I gave her a dirty look. I know what the damn doctor said, and she never ceased to remind me.

"_She doesn't want it to happen again..." my inner self told me. _

"_I know! But I'm tired of her constant reminders!" I snapped exasperated at him._

"_Then listen to her and she won't have to remind you. Duh!" my inner self conked my brain gently. I mentally sighed. _

"You know that has no effect on me." I scoffed at her and followed her into the limo and sat closer than usual to her. _My inner self grinned._

"_Getting cozy, are we?" he smirked. _

"_Step one," I replied. _I let my hand rest in the small space between us, gently touching her hand. I was surprised and relieved that there was no reaction from her that would indicate her repulsion of physical contact. I tested getting closer by inching my hand closer to rest against hers, and she still didn't move away.

"_You're doing great! She doesn't mind!" my inner self exclaimed excitedly._ It was a boost of needed confidence. The boost turned into a surge when I felt her hand slowly starting to interlock with mine, and I couldn't help but smirk a little relieved, but I still had to play it cool. Ahh. This surge made me feel so much better, and it got stronger as our hands remained connected.

"_Oh my God! She's holding your hand again!" my inner self exclaimed excitedly and was practically jumping up and down. I couldn't believe holding her hand like this had such an impact on me. It had such an impact that my cheeks were starting to burn. _

"_Why are my cheeks burning?" I demanded to my inner self. _

"_You're blushing!" my inner self chuckled. "You SOOOO have it bad for her…" Maybe I really did._ The ride to work was nice and quiet, and I looked in the corner of my eye and saw her blushing too. Oh…she looked so cute with a blush.

"_Wow…Seto Kaiba thinks a girl is cute…" my inner self remarked surprised. "Never thought I'd hear you say that," _

"_But she is!"I exclaimed. My inner self just smirked at me._ I was disappointed when we got to work and we had to break contact and the surge disappeared. I immediately forced myself to get into my business mode.

"We have a lot to do today, including practicing your dueling skills," I spoke suddenly. I was surprised she seemed jolted.

"_She must have been in the same kind of bubble you were in," my inner self suggested. _I felt hopeful that she was.

"Sure, okay," she replied casually as we walked to my office together and she got right to work sorting out paperwork and handling clients on the phone. I was glad I had given her that duty of talking to the customers for me. I would have been very distracted talking to them today. The sound of her voice and her calmness was very soothing and relaxing. I smiled a little and then left her alone to work on more Battle City stuff to distract myself from her.

Later after the most pressing, high-priority work was done, I took Misty back down to the arena to practice her dueling skills against the computer. I watched her fire return as she started to get sharper and sharper against her computerized opponents. She looked over at me and I couldn't help smiling proudly at her. I was very impressed with how she continued to get sharper and even more formidable.

"You're getting sharper and sharper. Good job. You're going to be nearly unstoppable," I praised her. I felt my heart skip seeing her beaming proudly and her famous passionate dueling flame within her seemed to glow even brighter as she dueled. After she had finished the practice, Misty sat next to me on the bleachers and smiled. My insides lurched excitedly.

"Thank you," she said.

"For?" I asked puzzled. I really had no clue why she was thanking me.

"Complimenting me," she replied with a smile.

"You're welcome," I replied with a small smile. Ah. Well, it was a deserved compliment; she was a really good duelist. We sorta stared at each other for a short while, and it was interrupted when she looked at the time. I blinked from the trance from staring into those fierce, wild, chocolate brown eyes.

"_Wow, she's even putting you into trances," my inner self remarked incredulous. "You better be careful," he warned. _

"_Yeah…" I agreed. _

"Oh, look I think it's time to get Mokuba from school," Misty remarked and started to get up.

"No, we're not picking him up today," I replied. I had told Mokuba earlier what my plans were and he eagerly offered to hang out with one of his school friends tonight.

"We're not?" Misty echoed confused.

"He's going over to his friend's house for a while. It's just you and me. We're going to finish our work, and then we're going to dinner," I announced in my most businessy tone of voice I could muster, especially when it came to the dinner part, and how it was just her and me.

"Oh…" Misty replied with a blush. My heart skipped when she blushed again. She knew what was going on, and she didn't seem bothered at all. This was going great!

"Let's get back to work," I commanded hiding my excitement. Misty got up and followed me back to my office and we worked quietly and sort of awkwardly together. We had to get our work done, and talking to her would unravel the focus I had. I could only say as little as possible without being affected, and I'd have to keep that up until it was time for dinner.

Later…

"Let's go," I commanded. It was time for dinner and I got nervous again. I was so nervous, my hand was shaking and I dropped my keys as I locked up my office. "Damn…" I muttered and quickly swooped down to pick up the keys and locked the door. I was still nervous about our dinner date as I led her to the limo.

"Why are you so nervous?" Misty demanded once I had gotten in and shut the door.

"I can't tell you…" I replied.

"_Why not?" my inner self asked. _

"_Pride," I answered simply. My inner self rolled his eyes. "And she could still say no…" I added. _

"_Stop being a wuss," he scolded me. _

"_Hey, I'd never been on a real date before…" I retorted. "And she's probably expecting some sort of protocol…" I let my hand rest in the small space between us. _

"_Protocol?"_

"_Yes, protocol. Look at her! She's more than likely had her share of dates, and she's probably expecting the night to go a certain way!" I insisted.  
"Stop wigging out! Who are you?" my inner self demanded. I ignored him._

"_WHO ARE YOU? WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" he demanded like a drill sergeant. _

"_Seto Kaiba," I answered. "What does my name have to do with this?"_

"_WHO ARE YOU?" _

"_Seto Kaiba," I answered again slightly annoyed._

_"WHO ARE YOU?" _

"_SETO KAIBA!" I yelled in my head. _

"_AND IS SETO KAIBA AFRAID OF ANYTHING?" my inner self yelled._

"_NO!" I yelled back to him. _

"_Then start acting like it!" he retorted. I pushed my nerves as far as I could, but they still threatened to surface…_

"_Damnit! She responded already before, and she didn't reject you! Now stop being a wuss!" he yelled at me and mentally slapped me. The next thing I knew, she had laced her fingers with mine again and the surge returned and I could relax. I immediately squeezed back and felt the current grow. "See? Now chill out damnit!" _

"So…where are we going?" Misty casually asked to break the awkward tension.

"Oh, just a good place I know," I replied as casually as I could. I couldn't wait for her to see the restaurant I picked. It was like eating in the dining room of a Tuscan mansion.

"What kind of food?" she asked.

"Italian," I replied tersely and without looking at her directly. Yeah, the handholding helped, but I was also trying to stay cool.

"Ooh, Italian is good," Misty replied with a bit of a smile. I couldn't help smiling at her smile and glancing briefly at her. I was glad she liked Italian food.  
_"What woman doesn't like Italian food?" my inner self asked. _

"Yes, it is," I agreed, unsure of what to say. What else could I say? There was another awkward silence in the limo which was thankfully broken when we got to the restaurant and I helped her out of the limo.

"Thank you," Misty said with polite smile and held hands with me again. I gave her a brief smile back and then opened the door for her and led her to the host. I heard the murmurs about us being a couple, and I secretly relished the idea, but I ignored them.

"Kaiba, table for two," I told the host. Never thought I'd be saying this with a woman on my side instead of Mokuba.

"Right this way, Mr. Kaiba," the host said and led me to the table. As we were walking, I noticed she was no longer walking with me. Instead, she was distracted by all the décor in the restaurant. She gasped in wonder and awe and her head was tilted back as she was trying to take everything in.

"Wow…" she remarked as she tried to take everything in. I smirked proudly, glad she was enjoying the niceness of the restaurant.

"I knew you'd like it here," I spoke. I was a bit surprised she seemed startled. Was she really in that deep of an awed trance?

The host led us to a quiet table where a bench wrapped against the wall, around the table, and we could close the curtain a little to shield us from nosy eyes. We sat next to each other and a waiter suddenly appeared at our table.

"Buongiorno, I am Paolo, your waiter for this evening. What can I get for you to drink?" Paolo asked as he handed us a wine list and a menu.

"We'll have some of your finest red wine," I ordered.

"Right away sir," Paolo replied and bowed and left the table. I noticed her scowling. What was she scowling about?

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"He didn't even ask for my drink order," she complained. That was it? She was annoyed Paolo didn't take her drink order? How petty.

"And what were you going to drink?" I asked bemused.

"Probably a soda, or iced tea," she replied. Oh please…

"I think wine is a better choice…it's…more romantic…I guess…" I replied hesitantly. The whole idea of romance was still a bit uncomfortable for me. " And I hear Italians drink wine with dinner, and they don't have much here for soda."

"_Idiot…" my inner self remarked with a facepalm. _

"Oh, like you heard Texans were all cowboys with horses?" she retorted. I glared at her. Seriously? This again?

"I thought we dropped that and you forgave me for that?" I demanded irritably. Why did she have to bring that up again?

"_You kinda brought that on yourself," my inner self retorted. _Misty sighed heavily.

"You're right…I'm sorry." Oh…my…God…SHE said I was right? And that she was sorry? Of course I was surprised! "What?"

"I don't remember you telling me that before," I remarked astonished.

"We're square then," she replied. Wow! She was dropping the subject too! Oh! The world must be coming to an end!

"_Well, it's not that extreme," my inner self said. _

"_She said I was right, and that she was sorry!" I exclaimed. "I didn't think she had it in her with her stubborn nature," I exclaimed. _

"Right," I agreed. There was an awkward silence for a moment until Paolo returned with wine glasses and green bottle of wine with a label that looked like parchment and was from the year 2000. Good enough. Paolo poured us both a glass halfway full and put the bottle in a wine bucket with ice he set up in front of the table, then took out his pad for orders.

"What are you hungry for?" I asked her. We both scanned the menu and I didn't care what we were going to have, so I decided to let her choose. I figured we could share a big plate.

"I want some spaghetti," Misty answered.

"One large spaghetti plate to share," I ordered.

"Right away sir," Paolo replied as he wrote the order down and left again but returned with rolls and put some olive oil with some kind of spices on a plate for us then left. I noticed there were people staring at us. I was annoyed, so I got up and closed the curtain to our booth. They had no business staring at us through our dinner like we were putting on a show. I noticed she was enjoying the roll, and I couldn't wait nor help asking her as she took a bite out of the roll she was enjoying.

"I need to ask you something," I announced as I took another bite out of her roll. She paused awkwardly and then swallowed her bite so she could talk.

"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" she asked curiously. Uh-oh…my nervousness returned and I shook a little.

"I wanted to ask you…to…a…gala….that's coming up…" I got out slowly and as calmly as I could.

"YES!" she blurted out loudly and covered her mouth with her hands when she realized she was loud. I was very surprised; I wasn't expecting her to be so enthusiastic about it. I could hear light applause outside our booth. What were they applauding?

"Really?" I asked in surprise. Misty nodded her head quickly with her hands still covering her mouth. I smirked a little, feeling confident and slightly cocky.

"When is this gala?" she asked.

"Valentine's Day. I assume you have a dress to wear to this gala?"

"Yep. I have a purty red dress I'll wear, or a gold one. But I don't see why they're having a gala on a Tuesday…or what it's for," Misty replied. I didn't think she'd understand that. I didn't really understand having a gala on a weeknight either.

"It's more or less just CEOs and their dates socializing with each other. I'm expected to attend because it's good for Kaiba Corp's image if I go… it's usually kind of boring, but at least now I'll have some good company." I told her and earned a little smile from her. It was true- with her around at the gala, it will at least be bearable…and I'll get to dance with her and see her looking spectacular. I was feeling great now.

"_See? You had nothing to worry about," my inner self told me. _

"So, do you have a picture of you wearing the red or gold dresses you told me about?" I asked. I was curious how she looked in her "purty" red and gold dresses.

"Well, I do have a picture of me wearing the red one at home, in my senior scrapbook, and I have a picture of my gold dress here," she replied and got out her wallet and showed me her picture of her wearing a beautiful shiny gold dress that showed off her curves nicely, and she was in the arms of a handsome dark-haired man. I was fascinated she could look that beautiful. I could see her outshining the snobby rich women at the gala and them being extremely jealous of her. I would be proud to have her on my arm and at my side all night. I looked at the dark-haired man with her, and I realized I couldn't stand him very much. He was now officially my rival for her attention. I envied him- he had her attention first and they looked happy together in the picture.

"You look beautiful," I complimented her and gazed at her a little. She giggled like a schoolgirl, which was kinda cute.

"Th-thank you…" she replied modestly. I smiled a little at her because her modesty was irresistible. She started blushing just then and my smile widened just slightly; her modesty was a refreshing change from all the self-centered, egotistic bimbos I met when they came to interview with me. I looked back at the picture staring at her again and ignoring the other man. Paolo returned with a spaghetti plate that looked big enough for 3 people to eat while another waiter put a plate in front of each of us, and I handed her picture back to her so it wouldn't get ruined, though I figured I'd have to have a picture of her and me to cover that picture in her wallet. She put it back in her wallet and back into her purse. Paolo put the spaghetti in the center of the table and then looked up at us and smiled. Okay, what was with the strange smile?

"Congratulations to both of you," Paolo told us. We looked at him strangely. What the hell was he congratulating us about?

"For?" We replied in unison.

"Your engagement," Paolo answered as if it were obvious. What the hell?

"Engagement? We're not engaged," I answered slightly annoyed. Great…everyone thought we were engaged…

"_Though you wish you were," my inner self interjected. _

"Yeah, we're not engaged," Misty confirmed.

"But there was some chatter about how you said you wanted to ask something, and she yelled out yes," Paolo explained. Damnit. Why were people so eager to jump to conclusions about us?

"_Face it, you're famous, and anybody famous with a new member of the opposite sex constantly at his or her side is immediately going to get rumors swirling," my inner self explained. "Famous people don't have privacy." _

"We're not engaged…" I repeated, glaring a little at our waiter. I did not appreciate being served a rumor with our dinner.

"My apologies sir, miss," Paolo apologized and left.

"I can't believe he thought we were engaged…why do people just assume things?" I asked irritably. Great…our dinner was tainted…

"Your guess is as good as mine," Misty replied with a shrug. I let her help herself to some spaghetti before I would, and then helped myself to my portion and put it on my plate. We ate our spaghetti quietly, and then we were following a long noodle without thinking. I was trying to figure out what to talk about next to get through this awkwardness. The next thing we knew we had met up in the middle and our lips touched in a kiss. I was very surprised, and bit off my own part of the noodle where we had met up, and turned away blushing. I couldn't believe I actually kissed her! Oh…how embarrassing. I didn't want it to be like that… I forced myself not to think about it. We continued to eat the spaghetti, but there were a few long noodles and we kept having spaghetti kisses; each time we turned away blushing. I felt a spark each time our lips touched, and I couldn't wait for the next one…until we finished the spaghetti. I don't know about her, but I know I wanted to keep it up, but I didn't want to spook her. She was probably embarrassed. What was I going to do now?

There was another awkward silent moment, until I couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence again.

"So, who was that guy in your prom picture?" I asked curiously. I couldn't help asking that, but I HAD to know who my rival was.

"That's just my friend Danny. I used to have a crush on him in high school," Misty explained. Oh, she HAD to rub it in didn't she?

"Do you still have a crush on him?" I asked tensely. God, I hoped not…

"Your eyes are starting to turn green with jealousy…" Misty teased.

"They are not," I insisted.

"Liar. Stop being jealous," she commanded. No! I wanted to know about him and what my chance was.

"Answer my question. Are you still crushing on him?" I repeated. She sighed exasperated. Why couldn't she just answer me and stop leading me on?

"No. Not anymore." Misty answered. Was that so hard? I was partly relieved.

"Do you still talk to him?" I demanded.

"Once in a blue moon," She replied casually. I felt a bit better, but then realized he may not be the only rival I had.

"What's bothering you now?" she asked with a groan.

"Have you had boyfriends before?" she sighed again. I was a little insulted she didn't take this seriously. I was sure she'd be very curious if I had girlfriends before and she'd be going crazy right now. I'm surprised she wasn't.

"What is it with you and other guys?" she asked crabbily.

"I…want to see my rank…" I admitted.

"Lordy..." Misty replied with an eye roll. It burned me more she was so dismissive about this.

"Well, have you or haven't you?" I demanded.

"Yes…" she answered. Aw damnit…now I had more guys to compete with and work even harder to best.

"Tell me about them," I prompted, listening intently. I wanted to know all the dirt I could possibly know about my competition.

"Nothing to tell…"she answered with a dismissive shrug. How could she be so damn maddening?

"Sure there is, tell me," I coaxed.

"No, there isn't. Drop it…" Misty commanded sharply and gave me a hard look. Fine…but it was going to drive me crazy.

"_Shut up and let it die!" my inner self commanded with a jab to my brain. _

"_I want to know!" I retorted irritably. _

"_Take her word for it! There's nothing! Now shut up before she gets turned off!" _

"You have nothing to worry about…stop being so jealous," Misty added and then kissed my cheek. I felt a jolt surge through me and touched my cheek stunned. Was she just teasing me now? Cruel…

"_Stop it! Shut up!" my inner self boomed in my head. _Just then Paolo had come back.

"Would you care for a dessert?" he asked. It sounded far off.

"Could we have a tiramisu to share please?" Misty asked.

"Certainly miss," Paolo replied with a polite smile and then went back to go get the tiramisu. I still can't believe she kissed my cheek. I finally got my senses back and Paolo had returned with our tiramisu. We each took turns taking spoonfuls of the delicious, light, and rich tiramisu. It was exciting sharing the tiramisu with her, and she seemed to enjoy it too.

_"See? She's enjoying sharing it WITH YOU," my inner self pointed out. I had to admit, I felt a little better. _

We finished the tiramisu and Paolo returned with the bill. Immediately I grabbed it up.

"Want me to pay my portion?" Misty offered. That was sweet of her, but I couldn't let her do that.

"No. This is on me," I insisted as I dug through my wallet and got out the money for the bill.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Wow…I had never met a woman who actually wanted to pay her share, but I still couldn't let her.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's on me. Don't ask again," I commanded as I readied the money for the bill.

"Okay…thank you," Misty said politely. And she says thank you too! Wow…

"You're welcome," I replied and put a nice tip on the table for Paolo and we went up to the cashier so I could pay the bill. After I paid the bill I offered my arm. "Shall we?" I asked. She smiled and snaked her arm through.

"We shall," Misty replied and rested her head on my shoulder as we left the restaurant and then started walking down the street in the orange-violet hazy glow of twilight approaching. This was so nice, and I was so excited she felt this comfortable and relaxed with me. She smelled really good too, and it was a little intoxicating. I didn't care who saw; I was so happy right now. Nothing could ruin it…; however, as we were walking down the street enjoying this connection, the loser patrol approached us. DAMNIT! WHY'D THEY HAVE TO RUIN MY EVENING? I felt Misty tense up against me

"Hey Kaiba," Yugi greeted.

"Yugi…" I replied growling and glaring at him. "What are you dweebs doing on this side of town?" I demanded.

"We'll wawlk anywhare we wahnt, KAIBA!" Wheeler retorted. He then looked at Misty's and my linked arms and that she was resting her head on my shoulder, and he sneered derisively at our connection. "Who's dis? Ya whore?" he asked. I wanted to rip him apart for that!

Misty lifted her head from my shoulder and let go of my arm, EXTREMELY livid. Oooh! YAY! Fireworks!

"WHAT THE LIVING FUCK DID YOU CALL ME?" she snarled at him, her chocolate eyes blazing like hell's flames. I glared and growled viciously at Wheeler infuriated he made that remark to her.

"Yar Kaiba's whore! Only a whore would be seen awn HIS arm becawse of what an ass he is," Wheeler retorted. That fueled the flames even more. I could see her turning to a savage animal ready to spring for an attack and tear him to shreds. I wanted some of that fun too.

"You better watch it, Wheeler," I warned coolly.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do 'bout it?" Wheeler sneered.

"So, you're the yapping Chihuahua Joey Wheeler that Mr. Kaiba's told me about…"she hissed with an eerie calmness, like the lioness circling her prey before she killed it. He glared at her and growled. Puh-leeze! "That's not going to work on me. Where the fuck is your leash? Or your mistress's purse for that matter?" Wheeler gaped at her in surprise, and I had to admit I was caught off guard by that too. Wow…

"Oh you really ah Kaiba's whore!" he retorted. She slapped him HARD across the jaw. Wheeler looked at her in surprise, and she slapped him hard again. Tea made the mistake of trying to separate them. Misty glared at her viciously, ready to tear her to shreds too. I'd never seen Misty THIS angry before.

"Who the fuck do you think you are touching me?" Misty snarled with her eyes blazing.

"There's no need for fighting…" Tea spoke, but she was obviously scared dealing with Misty.

"Ugh…I can't believe…I gaht slapped by a whore…" Wheeler remarked. He never knew when to stop, did he?

"Joey! Stop!" Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Mai called out to him. I was even more surprised when I saw Misty marching to a dumpster near a shop that sold fancy purses and then climbed up and opened the lid. Joey guffawed loudly. What the hell was she doing? Great! She's embarrassing both herself and me.

"Look Kaiba! Ya whore is nothin' but trash!" I snarled at him, and was a bit annoyed that Misty was giving him fodder. I watched her gingerly grab a purse that had lots of holes, was filthy, and reeked of trash, and jumped off the dumpster and marched back to Wheeler with a demonic fire blazing in her eyes. Why did she have this?

"Nice purse. Looks good on a trashy whore like you…" Wheeler sneered.

"Oh this purse isn't for me…it's for you…" she retorted then quickly put the purse over his head and then started punching the bag on his head repeatedly and then did a strong kick to his gut, sending him into a wall. I noticed blood droplets drip onto his shirt and I heard him groan as he sank to the ground. Oh my God… "NOW STAY LIKE THAT LIKE A GOOD MONGREL!" She commanded and then looked at the others.

"ANYONE ELSE WANT AN ASS-KICKING FROM THE SAN ANTONIO RATTLESNAKE?" she yelled.

"Let's get out of here!" Tea yelled and she and the others quickly scattered, but Tristan ripped the purse off Joey's head and then carried him off military style. Misty walked into the nearest shop and went to wash her hands, then returned to me. I was in shock I had just seen her beat the crap out of Wheeler. She gently tapped my jaw.

"You'll catch flies," she gently reminded him.

"Wow…" I remarked. "Did that really just happen?" I asked. This had to be some sort of dream, but it was a very GOOD dream. I found her even sexier now, and I had a new, huge respect for her.

"Yes it did…" Misty replied. "Sorry for looking like a monster…" she apologized shyly.

"Monster? You? Never." I replied. Misty looked up surprised. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen…" I exclaimed still awestruck.

"I wasn't going to allow him to call me a whore…" Misty replied modestly with her hands behind her back. Once again her modesty has made her irresistible.

"I understand. You're too classy to be a whore," I replied with a smile and she smiled back. Well, it was true. She had NEVER once given me any impression that resembled her being a whore.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," she replied and kissed my cheek lightly. Wow…I couldn't help touching my cheek again in surprise. I made a decision just then. I came close to her ear and the sensation of my breath at her ear made her stiffen up. I must have caught her by surprise. Well, it was only fair since she caught me by surprise practically this whole time.

"After that performance, you may call me Seto," I whispered and saw her blush. She earned the right to call me by my first name. I had been thinking about it for a while, and with her acting the way she did tonight, I decided it was time to let her call me by my first name.

"_So, is it official now?" my inner self asked. _

"_I suppose it is," I replied. My inner self smiled happily. _

"_Way to go. You've got her!" he cheered. _

"Okay, Mr.- I mean…Seto…" she replied blushing. I think she liked testing out saying my first name, and I had to admit I felt a surge hearing her say my name. It could definitely freeze me in my tracks.

"I like the way you say it," I whispered in her ear and saw her blushing again. "But, when we're at work, at company functions, and other places we have to be formal in, call me Mr. Kaiba," I instructed. I had to keep up THAT formality at least.

"Alright, Seto," she answered. There was that surge again. I'd never get tired of hearing her say my name, and I think she liked saying it. We stood in the street for what seemed like an hour, but it was only a couple minutes.

"Ready to go home?" I asked her not knowing what else to do. It was getting late, and I figured I should be getting her home.

"Sure," Misty replied with a shrug like she didn't care where we went next together. I called Edward to come pick us up. While we waited, I slowly grabbed her hand and laced my fingers with her, thus starting the surge again. Edward came and I opened the door and let her in first then followed her in and closed the door. I sat right next to her and resumed holding her hand. She slowly rested her head on my shoulder like how we were before Yugi and his losers approached us. It felt so right with her resting on my shoulder like this. I was really enjoying our closeness like this in a comfortable silence until we got to her apartment. We out and I walked her to her door. I didn't want to go just yet, but I didn't want to push my luck.

"Thank you, Seto, for a nice evening," she said awkwardly as her cheeks were turning red again. She looked adorable like this.

"You're welcome. Thank you…for saying yes…to the gala…and for beating up Wheeler," I replied fumbling for things to say. She chuckled and fished the keys out of her purse and fiddled with them a little. I watched her fiddle with her keys wondering what she was waiting for, I wanted to kiss her, but then I turned around.

"Good night Misty…I'll…see you Monday…" I said and then started walking away upset with myself. Damnit. I should have gone for it!

"Seto wait!" Misty called out as she leaned over the balcony a little. Immediately I stopped and looked up at her relieved she stopped me from going. If she was giving me a second chance to go for it, I was all for it.

"Yes Misty?" I asked. I was a little curious as to why she stopped me.

"I forgot I was going to show you what my red dress looked like…want to come in?" she invited. Ah yes…the red dress. I smiled knowing she had given me a reason to stay with her. I got out my phone and made a call to Edward to go do something else, but not be too far away.

"Yes sir, Mr. Kaiba," he responded with a smile in his voice and started to drive off. I started swiftly climbing the stairs back to her apartment glad for the invitation into her apartment.

I was at her door in a minute with a triumphant smirk and then followed her inside, and she closed the door after I entered.

"Make yourself at home," Misty invited with a warm smile. I smiled back and then sat on her couch as she disappeared for a moment and returned with a thick binder with a starry fabric on it. She flipped through a few pages and found the page she was looking for and sat down next to me.

"Here it is," Misty announced and pointed to her delicate red dress with delicate flowers all over it.

"It's a pretty dress," I said coolly. I couldn't stop staring at how beautiful she looked, but I realized that I was going to have blue in my outfit. Red and Gold wouldn't look right with blue. I'd rather us look coordinated. "But as nice as that one and your gold one are, I think I'd rather you wear a blue dress to the gala."

"Why blue?" she asked curiously.

"Because you look best in blue, particularly turquoise," I answered quickly and looked away, hoping not to give away that I wanted her to match me.

"Oh I see…You want me to wear blue so I'd match you and so you can claim me as yours," Misty remarked. Damn. She caught me…and there was no way out.

"Right…" I admitted.

"I don't recall agreeing to be yours, just that I'd go," Misty teased and smirked. Why'd she have to tease me?

"Please wear a turquoise dress…" I requested tensely. I didn't like being teased like that.

"If I must," Misty agreed with fake acquiescence. Stop teasing me!

"Thank you. I'll give you some money and take you shopping to go buy one," I offered. I'd never offered anyone money or to take them shopping before, but I had to in this case. She wouldn't really have the money to buy something, and I wanted to make sure she got the right dress. I wanted to be able to approve of it; it had to look fantastic on her if she was going to go with me. I couldn't have my date merely looking average. What kind of image would that give me?

"Seriously?"Misty asked incredulously. I think she was surprised. I figured she would be.

"Yes. I want you to look good, especially if you're MY date," I explained to her.

"Thank you," she replied.

"You're welcome." An awkward moment passed, but to distract myself from the awkward silence, I found myself admiring her paintings on the walls. They were pretty nice.

"I like your paintings," I said aloud.

"Really?" she asked with a broad smile. Wow, I must've hit a good nerve to make her react like that.

"Yes, they're very nice," I complimented. I was caught off guard a moment when she hugged me excitedly. I hugged back awkwardly, not sure why she was so excited.

"Thank you! I painted them myself!" Misty exclaimed happily. Oh. Now I see why she was so excited. I was impressed she had painted all these.

"They're very good. You're very talented," I complimented her. I could tell I had made her happy, and it made me smile.

"Thank you." she continued to hug me for another couple moments before letting go. I really liked that.

"Maybe you could paint one for me and Mokuba?" Instantly, she lit up excitedly, like the Las Vegas strip. Wow. I had never seen her so excited before. It was a win-win for us. She'd get to do something she loved for me and Mokuba and we'd have some good art on the walls; we needed something colorful on those walls.

"Maybe," she replied trying to play it cool, but her excitement was VERY obvious, and I couldn't help smiling at it.

"We'd hang it where everyone could see it," I promised. It was like her smile was etched into her face now.

"Thank you. What do you want it of?" Misty asked.

"Surprise me," I answered. I honestly didn't care what the subject was. I trusted her to paint something incredible. She looked happy.

"Okay. I'll paint you something awesome. Oh! Where are my manners? Would you like anything to drink?"

"I'm fine thank you," I replied.

"Alright. Um, want to watch TV?" she asked. Another reason to stay. She was pretty good at finding reasons for me to stay with her.

"Sure," I replied with a bit of a smile. I was glad to stay as long as I could with her.

"_Wow, she really doesn't want you to leave," my inner self remarked. _

"_And I'm glad for it," I replied. _

She turned on the TV and found a movie on TV and then curled up next to me. I then decided to try the slow wrap around the shoulder maneuver that was so widely used in TV and the old movies. I was a littler nervous because she could swat my arm away.

"_Ah, the classic slow wrap around the shoulder," my inner self observed gleefully. _My hand hung at her shoulder shaking with nerves. Thankfully, she came closer to me and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder tighter to hold her close.

A little while later, a steamy love scene came on. Oh God…I couldn't let her see that I was blushing and that I was getting turned on. Oh God…this was so embarrassing. Please don't let her see. I glanced from the corner of my eye and saw she had turned away equally embarrassed. Well, at least she was just as embarrassed as I was, that was a relief.

"_Well, nothing to get the party started like a steamy love scene," my inner self teased with a smirk. _

"_Please, shut up…" I commanded still embarrassed. _

It felt like forever until the scene ended. I sighed with relief. It didn't help I felt so turned on right now. We continued watching the movie until a few minutes later when another steamy love scene came on. Oh great…not again…please do something Misty!

"Let me…change the channel," Misty said aloud and grabbed the remote. Oh Thank God.

"Please do," I agreed hoping she'd find something else for us to watch that wasn't filled with steamy love scenes…I didn't need to feel awkward.

There was nothing else on. We're stuck watching this? Great…

"Well…nothing else is on…" she remarked still red from embarrassment so she turned the TV off and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God… I was relieved, but there was another awkward silence between us and then she rested her head on my shoulder again.

"Am I your pillow now?" I asked without thinking. I was still keyed up from that awkward love scene.

"_Idiot…" my inner self growled and conked my brain. _

"Huh?" Misty asked as she glanced up and realized she was resting on my shoulder "Oh! I'm sorry…"she apologized and started scooting away. Damn!

"I didn't mind," I assured her, trying to get her back over here. "It was kind of nice."

"Okay," she responded and thankfully scooted back to me. Immediately I re- wrapped my arm around her shoulder again. She came closer and our eyes met. I was in another trance as I stared into her chocolate brown eyes and caressed her face gently. She was so beautiful, and her plump lips were slightly parted and quivered a little. God I wanted to kiss her so bad.  
_"Go for it Seto," my inner self advised. "Kiss her!" _

"_Alright," I agreed._ I was about to kiss her when she beat me to the punch and kissed me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I was a bit surprised at first, but I eagerly kissed back harder wanting her so bad. I let my tongue caress her lips asking for entrance and was glad when she parted her lips for me. I let my tongue rub and caress against hers and explored her mouth. Mmm…I kissed harder and wrapped my arms around her tightly and pulled her closer. My desire for her increased exponentially the longer I kissed her, and I was still turned on from the love scene. We had to part to breathe, but once I caught my breath, our lips locked again. I felt her kissing harder trying to compete with me, but I wasn't going to let her best me. I felt her hand grip my hair in a fit of passion and she ran her fingers through my hair messing it up. I copied what she was doing and ran my fingers through her silky, dark chocolate waves. I kissed harder every so often and gripped her hair eagerly. We parted a second to breathe and I gently pushed her back to lie on the couch before resuming. I was getting really hard now and I wanted her so bad. I pressed into her body and wanted to explore her body with my lips. I started kissing from her lips to her neck and down, and started grinding my hips against hers. She pushed me away when I reached her collarbone. I wanted to continue, but she pushed me away. I was a little disappointed, but I had to stop.

"Stop! We…h-have to stop!" Misty declared panting heavily from the passion.

"Y-you're right…I-I-I should go…" I replied panting as I sat up and got off of her. She sat up too and followed me to the door.

"I'll…see you Monday," she bade with her hands behind her back as I opened the door.

"See you Monday," I agreed and lingered in her doorway. I gave her another quick kiss and then went downstairs and called Edward to come and get me. Luckily, he was in a nearby coffeeshop. I felt her watching me from the balcony as I got into the limo 5 minutes later. I looked up at her with a smile, and she smiled and waved at me, and she smiled wider when I waved back and then Edward started to head out. I opened a mirror in the back and stared at my mussed reflection with a satisfied sigh. I debated whether to show Mokuba my mussed hair or to straighten out my hair. I decided on the latter. As I straightened my hair out, I was thinking about how I was glad she stopped me or I wouldn't have been able to control myself. I was still rather horny, and this was going to be uncomfortable for a while. God how I wanted her…

"_Wow…" my inner self remarked. _

"_Yeah," I agreed. _

"_So, I guess this means Big, Bad, Seto Kaiba has a girlfriend now," he speculated._

"_Yes it does," I smirked. I couldn't believe it…I had a girlfriend now! He smirked._

"_Well done," he complimented me. _

"_Thanks," I smiled._

_"Maybe one day she'll let you take things further," he suggested waggling his brows. _

"_Maybe," I agreed and I had to admit the prospect of that was very exciting. She would be mine, and only mine; I wasn't going to let her get away from me without a fight. _

"_Take it slow. Tonight was a prime example. She pushed you away because she felt you were going too fast for her. Let her get ready for you," my inner self advised._

"_You're right!" I agreed. _

"_But don't forget to give her affection," he added._

"_Alright," I agreed. I wasn't used to being affectionate, but tonight was a good start. I was excited about the possibilities I had with her. I felt happy. _

"_Nice to see you happy again," my inner self smiled. _

"_Feels nice to be happy," I agreed._ We picked up Mokuba, and he smirked when he saw me.

"So, had a good night, big bro?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes. It was a very good night," I replied with a smirk.

"Oh? Tell me!" Mokuba eagerly said.

"Misty's my girlfriend now," I told him with a smirk. Mokuba gasped excitedly.

"Really?"

"Really," I confirmed.

"Tell me more!"

"She agreed to go to the gala with me as my date, we shared a few spaghetti kisses, you know, following a long noodle and kissing in the middle, she beat up Wheeler for me, and we hung out in her apartment and made out," I told him.

"Wow!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. "I'm excited for you! She's your girlfriend! I knew she couldn't resist you!" He exclaimed and hugged me.

"I'm glad you're excited," I smiled and ruffled his hair playfully.

"She really messed your hair up," Mokuba smirked.

"Yep," I agreed with a chuckle. We went home and played video games together for a while. When it was time for bed, my mind kept going back to tonight. I kept imagining what would have happened if she hadn't stopped me and it made me hard all over again. Oh I wanted her…I really wanted her so badly, and her body in my fantasies looked so glorious. I was so glad she was mine now and I couldn't wait for the day when my fantasies would become reality.

"_Take it slow, horny," my inner self reminded me. _

"_I know, I know," I replied. I wanted to see her again and didn't want to wait until Monday. _

"_How about you take her shopping for her dress tomorrow?" _

"_Good idea,"_ I agreed and imagined how beautiful she'd look wearing a blue gown, but then my mind returned to tonight. Now I didn't mind if I had fantasies about her, not like before- she was mine and it was alright if I fantasized about her. I wondered if she was thinking about me.


	6. Fateful Saturday

~Back to My POV~

I let myself dream and enjoy the fantasies my inner self put into my head that were spurred from last night's makeout session on the couch. It was really getting good again as I got to the part where I hadn't stopped him when I heard my cell phone ringing. Whoever was calling me was going to pay for waking me up! I growled in annoyance and picked up my phone.

"H-Hello?" I asked groggily and irritably as I answered. I looked at the time- 9:00 a.m.

"Misty, glad you're up," Seto greeted coolly. My insides skittered a bit. Hm…speak, or rather dream, of the devil and he shall appear.

"I am now…" I retorted and yawned. "What is the meaning of this, waking me up early on a Saturday morning?" I grumbled still gathering what was going on. He scoffed into the phone.

"We have business to attend to," he replied in his characteristically businessy voice. I listened half-awake. "I'll be coming to get you in an hour. Be ready," he commanded.

"'Kay," I mumbled and then hung up and stretched. I wondered what kind of business we were doing today. I got up and used the bathroom and took a quick shower and something told me to wear a casual dress today, so I put on a cute sundress and a cute blouse over it. I spritzed some perfume and combed my thick, impossible dark chocolate hair into a half-pony and let the rest fall in loose waves. I put on some comfortable sandals and made myself a quick breakfast while I waited for Seto to come get me. I couldn't resist smiling a little as he floated through my head, and I couldn't resist blushing as last night came to mind again as I ate. I sighed dreamily until I heard a knock at my door. I abandoned my breakfast and got up to answer it. Of course, there was Seto standing with his arms crossed casually over his chest and all dressed up, as usual. He looked me over from head to toe and smiled a little.

"You look nice," he remarked casually. I smiled at the compliment and my heart jumped a little.

"Thanks. Come in," I invited hospitably and closed the door behind him, cleaned up my breakfast mess, and quickly went to brush my teeth before reemerging and grabbing my purse and a jacket.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," I told him and he rose from my couch and followed me to the door. I made sure everything was locked up and he opened the door for me.

"Ladies first," he said politely as he gestured to the open door. I smiled and exited first and waited for him to exit and shut the door. Once he had, I locked my door and turned to him. He had offered his arm like after we left the restaurant last night and smiled a bit at me. I smiled back and snaked my arms through as he led me down the stairs to the limo, where he opened the door for me. I was always impressed with his gentlemanly manners. I got in and he followed suit and sat flush against me when he closed the door and Edward started driving away. I could hear him sniff a little and I blushed, hoping he'd like the smell of my perfume.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked. I assumed something had come up and he needed me for work today. I did wish I had a little bit advanced notice so I wouldn't have been so grouchy this morning.

"We're going dress shopping. The gala is in a couple weeks and you need your dress," he replied and then draped his arm around my shoulder casually and pulled me close. I was a little surprised.

"Is that all we're doing today?" I asked.

"Likely, unless we figure out something else to do," he replied. "But the plan for the day is dress shopping, in upscale shops." My face paled a little bit, and he was caught off guard.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You're taking me to upscale shops?" I echoed.

"Of course," he looked at me as if that were obvious. "I told you last night I wanted you to look good, especially if you're MY date, and I'm going to the best shops."

"Right…" I agreed but was still uncomfortable. He sighed.

"What?" He asked exasperated.

"The employees are all going to look down on me…" I replied uneasily and fidgeted a little.

"No they won't," he assured me and then came closer to my ear. "If necessary, I'll have them fired," he whispered. "Nobody would dare mock MY woman or anything else of mine if they valued their life." I trembled a little the way he called me HIS woman. I sort of liked being his, but as Lesley Gore put it, he "didn't own me." His remark didn't help much; I still was a little nervous about being scrutinized.

"If necessary, you can bring out your famous fiery temper," he added with a smirk. I half-smiled on that. "That's better," he told me and gave me a quick kiss.

"This feels like that scene from Pretty Woman where he took her shopping after all the clerks were mean to her because she was trashy looking," I replied. He shrugged cluelessly.

"If you say so…" he replied. An awkward moment passed before I broke the silence.

"So, since you said YOUR woman, I guess that makes me your…girlfriend, right?" I asked. I had a feeling it did but I wanted to be sure we were on the same page, especially if I was going to be calling him my boyfriend.

"Yes," he agreed with a bit of a smile. "You're my girlfriend now, especially after last night." I blushed.

"Good…I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page and all," I replied.

"Alright. I bet me being your boyfriend is going to break a lot of guys' hearts," he remarked.

"You lose," I replied.

"What?" he asked surprised.

"You lose that bet," I explained. He still looked confused. I rolled my eyes a little. "I really doubt you being my boyfriend is going to break anyone's heart…" I explained with a rueful half-smile.

"Impossible…" Seto scoffed. "Even Sr. Maldonado mentioned I should keep an eye on you because all the guys would be looking at you especially since you're as beautiful as a rose." I snorted in disbelief. True, Sr. Maldonado HAD said that, but it wasn't like anything actually happened if anybody did have their eyes on me. I'd had LOTS of rejection and 3 loser "school boyfriends" to show for it.

"What was that snort for?" He asked and frowned.

"Yeah, Sr. Maldonado HAD said that about me, but given my past it's hard to believe guys would look at me," I retorted dryly.

"You are wrong," Seto replied with a triumphant smirk. I supposed it was a pleasure of his to be able to tell someone they were wrong and he was right. Arrogant son-of-a- gun wasn't he? I scowled at him to show him he was still wrong. "I had seen guys staring at you. You have no idea the effect you have on men, don't you?"

"Enlighten me, oh Great One," I retorted sarcastically.

"I notice how other men stare at you lasciviously. They're like dogs with their tongues hanging out. I've had to give them the evil eye if they stared at you," Seto answered. "If I hadn't been there, they may have tried something."

"Yeah, lucky me, you prevented guys from not coming up to me when they never would have anyways…" I retorted sarcastically. Why couldn't he get that?

"They probably would have, but they were probably intimidated," Seto offered.

"By what?" I asked. What could these guys be intimidated by?

"Well, probably by me, but also because of you."

"Me? How?" I had no idea how I could be so intimidating.

"Well, you're very strong minded and fiery, and it emanates off of you, like a radiator. They probably aren't sure they can handle it like I can," he answered. That last bit sounded a bit egotistic, but I had to agree; not many people could handle me aside from him, Mokuba, my friends, and my family.

"I suppose you're right," I sighed. "Those guys probably don't have the cojones to ask me out if they liked me."

"Ca-ho-nes?" Seto asked confused as he sounded it out.

"They don't have the balls to approach me," I clarified and he got it and smirked.

"No they don't," Seto agreed pleased. "And I'm glad they don't because that means you're all mine."

"I suppose so," I agreed. He smiled and kissed me. I kissed back and he upped the passion. I matched him a bit and ran my fingers through his hair and then pulled away when he kissed even harder, but gave him a little bit of a smile and another light kiss. He pulled me close in an embrace. I felt so relaxed and at peace in his arms.

"I'm glad you're my first girlfriend," he told me. I looked up at him and smiled and blushed a little.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're my first "real" boyfriend," I replied.

"Real boyfriend?" he asked surprised.

"Yes, you're my first "real" boyfriend," I repeated. "I've only had 3 loser "school" boyfriends, meaning I only saw them at school…they never really wanted to hang out with me outside of school…I never even had my first kiss until last night," I explained.

"Impossible," Seto scoffed.

"I'm serious. You deflowered these lips," I told him and pointed to my lips.

"And I'm about to do it again," he smirked and kissed me passionately again, his tongue caressing my lips and tongue. I pulled away when he tried to intensify it even more, and to breathe. I blushed.

"You know, for a virgin kisser, you are really good at it…" Seto smirked.

"I guess I win the title of Kissing Rookie of the Year then?" I asked. Seto laughed.

"Yeah, sure," he replied and then whispered into my ear. "I'm in the same boat as you. I didn't get my first kiss until last night either."

"You're just saying that," I accused.

"No. You're the only girl I found worthy of kissing," he told me as he looked into my eyes with his icy sapphires. I blushed again.

"Well, I guess we both win the Kissing Rookie of the Year title then," I replied still blushing.

"Yes, I guess we do. By the way, you look beautiful when you blush." I couldn't help but blush a bit redder a moment. I must be so red right now.

"And you look cute with your hair all messed up from making out," I told him with a chuckle and pointed at his hair. He checked the mirror and then smirked.

"I guess it means my girlfriend can be a very wild creature and can't keep her hands to herself," he retorted. I gave him a mock scowl.

"You're just as bad. Damn, you were almost all over me last night and a few minutes ago," I retorted. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Can't help it if my girlfriend is hot and I want to touch," he replied and I smiled a little. It was nice for him to call me hot and to admit to wanting to touch me. "I'm just glad nobody else had touched my girl."

"Yep…I was saving my first kiss and being pawed at for you," I replied half-sarcastically. He looked surprised at my half-sarcasm.

"I was pretty much kept at a distance by everyone except my closest friends and family. Nobody wanted to really get close to me except them, so I was a bit of an outcast in school and didn't really fit in anywhere…" I told him, my mood suddenly stoic and kinda glum, and I smiled a little. "But now, I've got 2 guys and 3 gals who would do anything to stay as close as possible to me," I added and laced fingers with him. He sighed heavily.

"I can't believe nobody wanted to get close to you…Well, it shows just how idiotic they were for passing you over. You're worth more than all the money I could ever have, and I'm not going to let you go that easily," he told me. I smiled touched he had said that.

"Really?"

"Really," he said with his characteristic seriousness and kissed me. I hugged him.

"Thank you, Seto…"I said softly. But I was very curious. "Hey, if we were in high school together, would you have wanted to be with me, or been my friend?

"Yes," he replied.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Though I might have been even more nervous around you."

"Why?" I asked.

"You saw how nervous I was yesterday…" Seto answered slightly exasperated.

"Once again, why would you have been nervous?"

"Well, you're smart, classy, creative, independent, pretty, strong, feisty, and unique. You don't see a combination like that very often, and I'm not a very social person, so it would've taken a while to actually have a conversation with you."

"Am I really that hard to approach?" I groaned.

"Yes and no."

"Explain."

"Well, that strong, feisty independence might be a little intimidating because people are not sure if they can handle a feisty personality, but you've also got a vibe that shows you may look cool on the outside, but you're very warm if people come closer and get to know you better. It's like finding a house in the middle of a snowstorm, and inside it looks very warm and cozy, but you're not sure if you'd be welcomed in, but once you get in, you relax a bit better." I smiled amusedly. I never thought he'd come up with an analogy like that.

"That's an interesting analogy," I complimented him. He shrugged.

"That was the easiest way I could explain it," he replied and the limo had stopped. "We're here. Come on, let's go."

"Wait. I'll go in on two conditions…" I bargained.

"And those are?" He demanded slightly impatient.

"One…" I kissed him. "Two…If you're going to get me a formal dress, you have to agree to let me take you shopping for casual clothes. Deal?" I asked and stuck my hand out for a handshake. Instead, he kissed me. I was surprised at first, but then I got it…sealed with a kiss. I was surprised he agreed to the casual clothes part of the bargain.

"Deal," he answered when he pulled away. He got out and then helped me out of the limo and laced his fingers with mine. I was surprised he was so bold about being affectionate in public when he made such a big deal out of the whole tabloid mess after his appendectomy, but then I realized I didn't care; I liked it, damn it! We walked in together and the bell above the door jingled.

"Ah, hello Mr. Kaiba, um, Ms. Robinson, what can we do for you today?" an associate greeted us. I was a little surprised at her hesitation when she spoke to me.

"She needs a turquoise gown for a gala on Valentine's Day, and she needs to look stunning," Seto ordered with his usual seriousness.

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba," the associate replied slightly timidly. He then got everyone together in the shop.

"I want you to take good care of Misty, or I swear I will have you all fired, got it?" Seto hissed.

"Got it…" everyone agreed nervously. I pulled him back to me.

"Don't embarrass me…" I whisper-hissed.

"I'm just making sure you're taken care of," he whispered back innocently.

"Well don't embarrass me…" I commanded. Immediately, all the associates were SERIOUSLY sucking up to me and I was swarmed with the associates catering to me. I had at least 3 of them measuring me, and some were looking for all the turquoise dresses they had in my size. The three that had been measuring me ushered me into the dressing room and the ones who had gotten the dresses started handing them over the dressing room door to me. I took off my jacket, blouse, and dress and then started trying on the dresses one by one. They were all gorgeous, and each time I came out of the dressing room to show Seto for his approval, after all he was buying it, he scorned them. I was getting really tired of trying all these dresses on only for him to reject them. I came out with the last turquoise dress on. Once again…he scorned it.

"No! No! No! None of those gowns are good enough," Seto growled.

"ISN'T THERE ANY DRESS YOU DO LIKE? I TRIED ALL OF THE TURQUOISE GOWNS IN MY SIZE ON AND YOU HATE EVERY ONE OF THEM!" I demanded irritably.

"None of them suit you right. We'll just have to go to another store." I sighed exasperated, but then one associate came back with another gown. It wasn't quite turquoise, but it was a turquoise/seafoam green blend with jade green enhancements. Upon closer inspection, it was an Ancient Greek style one-shouldered gown with a diagonal bandage-style bust that smoothed out under jade-green crisscrossing ribbons under the bust and at the waist, and flared out at the skirt like a waterfall. At the shoulder there was a sleeve made of twisting ribbons the same color as the dress that looked like it wrapped around the arm and ended at a jade-green wristband. I gasped when I saw it, and my jaw hung to the floor. I grabbed it from the employee excitedly and scurried back to the dressing room. I quickly took the dress I previously tried on, off and then put the Greek dress on in its place. I fell in love with the dress even more as soon as I saw my reflection. Oh…we HAD to get this one. It was just sooo right! I couldn't wait to show Seto. I came out of the dressing room and everyone gasped. I twirled around proudly. I could feel Seto's eyes taking in every inch and he was definitely impressed.

"We got that one from a new up and coming designer," one of the associates told us. I was barely paying attention.

"That's the one," Seto announced. I smiled happily, and so did the associates.

"It's almost like it was made for her," one of the associates remarked. I couldn't agree more. I loved the way it hugged my curves in the right places, hid some troublesome areas, it gracefully flowed when I moved, and it wasn't too revealing. This dress almost seemed like it was plucked from a dream. I didn't want to take it off. Shoot, if I could, I'd have Seto pay for it and wear it out of the store. I sighed as I went back to the dressing room, took the dress off, and put my original clothes on. I gingerly put it back on its hanger, grabbed my purse, and carried it to the register. The cashier rang the dress up.

"That will be ¥200,000."I felt myself twitch in a spasm. Oh God…I had NEVER seen a price that high for a gown! I choked a little bit on the shock. I spazzed even more when Seto paid for it without even blinking an eye. I sat down in the chair. I saw Seto get out more money and hand it to the manager.

"A tip for everyone," he simply said. Wow…The cashier smiled and gently wrapped the dreamy Greek dress and put it in a bag.

"Thank you, come back and see us," she said. Seto then came over and grabbed my hand and yanked me upwards against him and laced his fingers with mine as we went to the limo in silence. I was still shocked and stunned by the price. We got into the limo and I was still stunned silent.

"You're welcome," Seto said and stared at me curiously.

"Th-thank…you…" I replied. He cocked his head and looked at me puzzled.

"You alright?" he asked.

"¥200,000…for a dress…" I replied.

"So?" He obviously wasn't getting it…

"¥200,000 for a dress…" I repeated.

"I know," Seto replied tersely. No, he didn't know.

"How the hell does that NOT bother you?" I demanded.

"It just doesn't. I'm used to it. Don't worry about it." Don't worry about it? Ha!

"I can worry if I want! Spending ¥200,000 on a dress doesn't seem like a big deal, but it bothers the hell out of me," I retorted.

"Why?" He was so clueless…

"_What do you expect from a guy that doesn't have any financial limits?" my inner self asked. _

"Spending that much money on a dress that's hardly worn is such a waste, especially when that money could go towards more useful things like rent, bills, a car, groceries, tuition…" I replied.

"Luckily for me I have plenty of money to cover all that." Argh! Now it was starting to piss me off! He didn't understand me! I pressed my palm to my face in exasperation.

"Yeah, YOU don't have to worry about all that, but I do!" I shot back. I sighed a moment trying to calm down, but my instincts were still screaming. "I never even spent $100 on a dress! My Homecoming dress I showed you last night was only $70, and my prom dress was $40! I have to be so very frugal with my money and not waste so much when I have to use every last bit of it. I spend little on my clothes and have them for years because I can't afford to go shopping. I even have hand-me-downs from my mom and my cousins, and then give away my clothes that don't fit me or are worn out. Seeing that exorbitant price for just ONE dress almost made me faint!" Seto sighed.

"What will it take for you to drop this so we can enjoy our day?" Seto asked annoyed.

"I challenge you when we go shopping for you to spend ¥15,000 on casual clothes and accessories, and nothing over that. Maybe then you'll understand frugality and what I have to go through," I retorted.

"You're telling me how to spend my money?" Seto asked incredulously.

"Well, you wanted me to drop the whole dress deal. I'll drop it after you accept my challenge and see it through. Deal?" I asked fiercely.

"Deal. Anything to drop it." I pointed to my lips to seal the deal since he seemed to prefer that method. He leaned over and kissed me softly.

"Good," I replied with a smile and then picked up the limo phone to call Edward. "Edward, could you take us to a superstore?" I asked.

"Certainly, Misty," Edward agreed. I thanked him and hung up the phone.

"What kind of casual clothes are we looking for, and why exactly are we getting them?" Seto asked.

"We need to get you jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, relaxed shirts, tennies, all that jazz. You're too dressed up for the weekend. You need clothes you can just relax and hang out in. Stuff that won't be cumbersome when you're playing with Mokuba and having fun," I explained.

"Alright," he agreed not knowing what else to say.

"You pulled me out of my comfort zone and took me to a dress shop I wouldn't have dared gone in without you, and now it's time I pull you out of your comfort zone and take you shopping for relaxed clothes. Fair's fair. Trust me, you'll feel so much better."

"I'll hold you to that," Seto replied. It wasn't very long before Edward dropped us off at the front of a superstore that reminded me of a Walmart back home. I felt at home. I grabbed a basket and Seto and I walked into the store with our fingers laced. I could tell we were getting some attention, but we ignored everyone staring at us and went to the mens section. I noticed Seto looking at some stuff and gathered his size from the items he picked and started picking out things in his size that I figured would look good on him. I put a great deal of things in the cart for him to try on.

"_I can't wait to see him fill out a pair of jeans," I thought._

"_Me either," my inner self agree and wolf-whistled. _

"Alright, go try these on," I told him and brought him to the dressing rooms. He obligingly went into one with the clothes while I sat outside the dressing rooms on the bench waiting for him. He quickly came out wearing cargo pants and a button down shirt. I smiled

"It looks great on you!" I complimented him. He smiled a half-smile back as he looked at his reflection.

"I feel so different, so unlike me," he remarked.

"That's good," I encouraged. "Now try some other combinations. Try adding t-shirts with the button down shirt," I suggested. He went back into the dressing room and came back with another shirt and some jeans. Damn his ass looked hot in those jeans! I couldn't help checking it out as I looked him over. He caught me looking through the mirror and smirked.

"You look very sexy," I whispered to him. He seemed to like that. "And you look very rockin'," I added. I was so excited! He was looking fantastic in these clothes! He seemed to like the way I checked him out every time he came out of the dressing room, so he had more fun trying different combinations. When he finished, we put all the clothes back in the cart and went to the shoes section to pick out some nice tennies for him. He tried on a few, but he gravitated towards a white pair and a blue and white pair. He decided on the blue and white pair because they were a bit more comfortable.

"They also match your eyes," I told him. Yeah, it was cheesy, but it was cute. I then took him to the accessories section and saw some cool fedoras, belts, and other accessories. I playfully grabbed a fedora and put it on his head and smiled. He looked cute, but he decided to pass on the fedora, and instead he did like a leather wrist cuff I found. It screamed badass. He grabbed a few other staple clothes (socks and underwear) and then went to go buy it all. While he was waiting in line, I went and found him a body spray that was similar to the sexy Axe products back home and tossed it in with his stuff. Everything added up to being ¥12,000. He turned to me and smiled.

"I did it."

"Yes, you did," I smiled proudly. "See? That's what I go through when I go shopping."

"I never knew it was that much fun."

"Well, you just have to open up a bit more," I replied and kissed him and didn't care who saw. We decided to grab a quick lunch at a fast food place and picked up some lunch for Mokuba. Edward drove us back to the mansion and Mokuba was practically already at the door when we entered.

"Misty!" Mokuba greeted and gave me a big hug. I smiled and hugged him and affectionately ruffled his hair.

"Hey bud!" I greeted back.

"Did you have a good day shopping?"

"Yes, we did. We had lots of fun. I wish you could have been there with us," I told him.

"Well, Seto did say he wanted it to be just you and him," Mokuba replied with a bit of a smile on his face. I smiled back when I saw he was trying to be sweet and give Seto and me time to ourselves.

"Well, now all three of us can hang out now," I told him and hugged him.

"Right! So, what did you get?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Well, I got my gown, and I made Seto get casual clothes to relax and hang out in."

"Really? I never thought I'd see Seto wearing casual clothes," Mokuba replied with a chuckle. "You've really got it bad for her Seto," Mokuba teased playfully, and Seto and I chuckled.

"Why, yes I do," Seto agreed and glanced at me. I blushed a little when he said that, and Mokuba grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"So, how about you go try on the stuff and show me?" Mokuba suggested.

"Alright," we agreed and carried our clothes to separate rooms. I undressed and then put my gown back on. I still couldn't believe this was my gown. I smiled at my reflection and Seto and I came out of our rooms at about the same time to show Mokuba our new looks. I noticed he was wearing one of his favorite combos- dark jeans, a blue striped button-down, a navy t-shirt, and the tennies. I also noticed he was wearing the bad-ass cuff and I picked up on the cologne he was wearing. I gave him a coy smirk as I appraised his outfit and his smell. Mmmm… Me likey! I also giggled at how opposite we looked to each other with me in a gorgeous Greek gown and him looking so casual. We laced fingers again, and I was checking him out from the corner of my eye as we walked to show Mokuba.

"Wow! Misty you look so beautiful! And Seto, wow! Nobody would think it was you! I wouldn't even recognize you right away! It looks awesome!" Mokuba remarked. We smiled proudly, and then went back to change back into our original clothes. I came out of the room with my original dress and noticed Seto was still wearing the casual clothes.

"Might as well start putting them to use," Seto told me with a small smile.

"Yeah, you might as well," I agreed and was happy he was actually using his new clothes for the purpose we got them for. Mokuba was eating the lunch we picked up for him, so Seto and I sat on the couch together in the huge, ornate living room. I looked around the space assessing it and also thinking of what kind of image I could paint for him and Mokuba. I felt Seto's arm wrap around my waist and pull me close to his body.

"So, are you impressed?" Seto asked a bit cockily.

"A little, yeah," I admitted. Seto gave me a cocky smirk.

"But I'm more interested in the person next to me with his arm around my waist," I teased.

"I should hope so," Seto retorted playfully. I chuckled. He seemed even more relaxed than he did when he was in the limo and in my apartment. I guess it had something to do with him still having to be suppressed in the limo, and he was a little nervous around me in my apartment, but since this was his home, his haven, he could be as carefree as he wanted. I felt lucky to be able to see more of that side of him. I smiled and gazed at him and he stroked my hair as he gazed back at me with a smile. I caressed his face and saw him close his eyes in pleasure. He then pulled me close and kissed me. I heard Mokuba chuckling, and we pulled away blushing.

"Don't stop because of me. I'd been hoping to see that," Mokuba said with a Cheshire cat grin. I still continued blushing.

"So, what do you want to do, bud?" I asked awkwardly, hoping to distract him. "I'm all yours and your brother's to hang out with today." Mokuba beamed excitedly. That worked.

"Well, we can play video games, board games, outside games, we could practice dueling, and watch movies," Mokuba offered.

"That sounds good Mokuba. One thing you've got to know…Tag! You're it!" I exclaimed as I touched his shoulder and bolted away from him, and so had Seto. We then ran outside with Mokuba chasing us.

"Hey! I'm going to get you!" Mokuba shouted and we were all laughing as we ran. I almost tripped on a rock when Seto grabbed my arm and kept me from falling, but I ended up falling against him. He smirked and lightly kissed me and whispered in my ear "Tag. You're it." He let me go and then ran away. Oh, that's how he wanted it, huh? I chased after him in Mokuba and then hid in the shadows to catch my breath. I needed to run more… They started looking for me and I snuck up behind Seto and gently clawed my finger down his back and made him stiffen up and gasp.

"Tag. You're it now," I told him and ran away with Mokuba. Seto was gaining on me, so I ran in zigzags so he couldn't catch me, so he caught Mokuba instead. We kept tagging each other until we collapsed on the ground laughing. Good times, good times. Man, I hadn't played tag since I was a kid! We got up and went back inside laughing and replaying the best captures, except for when I clawed down Seto's back. We sat down and caught our breath, and then Seto and Mokuba gave me a tour of the rest of the mansion. I noticed how Seto was playing it cool when he showed me where his room was.

"_Ooh, sounds like he's giving you clues," my inner self remarked while waggling her eyebrows. _

"_Is everything about sex with you?" I asked annoyed. _

"_Hey, he's the one trying hard to play it cool," she protested with a smirk. _Though, Seto's room did look nice from what I could see. I could see him glancing at me. Was he thinking the same thing my inner self had been thinking?

"Nice," I remarked casually. Mokuba showed me his room, and I saw he had posters of his favorite monsters on the walls and such. They showed me other rooms and then they took me to an area that looked like the arena I practiced in at work. Mokuba looked at me with a grin.

"I challenge you to a duel!" he exclaimed. Alright. He looked so excited and Seto sat on one of the bleachers, eagerly watching.

"You really think that's wise with all the times you watched me?" I bantered with a smirk.

"I want to try myself," Mokuba replied. I noticed he was starting to get a little bit of a duel flame like I did. To each duelist their own flame.

"Alright, suit yourself. I'm not going to show you any mercy because I like you," I told him.

"Give me the same intensity as all your other duels!" he commanded.

"Alright, you're going to get bit by a rattlesnake," I warned and smirked, my eyes glowing brightly as my duel flame had just been sparked.

"Bring it on, sister," he taunted. Oh! Sister, eh? Well, even if he considered me his sister, he was going down! We dueled, and of course, I beat him. He was a tough kid, but from all the intense practices I'd gone through, I wasn't to be messed with. Mokuba smiled at me proudly. "Oh yes, you're sooo going to kick the others' butts so easily!" I bowed a little proudly.

"Why thank you kiddo, you were pretty hot too," I grinned. Mokuba chuckled and then hugged me.

"Thanks Misty. And I meant what I said, when I called you sister," he told me as he hugged me, his big grey eyes shining brightly at me. I smiled and then ruffled his hair.

"I'm honored, but it's a little soon," I told him.

"I know, but I can't wait for you to be my sister for real." Awwww… "I know it's going to happen!" Mokuba assured me, almost promising it he was so confident. I smiled at him and gave him another squeeze.

"Hey, quit hogging my girlfriend," Seto bantered playfully with Mokuba. Mokuba stuck his tongue out at Seto playfully, earning a noogie from his big brother. I laughed as I watched the two of them play. Next, it was board game time, and then after that, Mokuba tried to teach me how to play DDR on his Playstation. Naturally, I got Ds on it.

"You'll get it Misty. You just need some practice," Mokuba said encouragingly with a warm smile.

"Thanks." I then looked at Seto who snickered a little. "Something funny?" I asked with my arms crossed over my chest and a mock scowl on my face.

"Yeah, you do need practice," he agreed with a smirk.

"Yeah, I know I do. Now I'd like to see YOU do it," I challenged.

"Easy. Watch, and learn," he smirked cockily and then started doing it on a medium level. I was impressed, but I was more fascinated watching his body move. Mmm… When his round was over, he made As and Bs. Wow…I never figured Seto for the DDR type. He turned around at me and kept that cocky grin.

"Impressive," I remarked casually. He shrugged like a playa.

"I practiced with Mokuba in our brotherly time together," he explained.

"Of course…" I remarked and our eyes made contact. There was a new cocky playfulness there, and it was a bit irresistible. "Don't let the fame go to your head," I advised playfully and he chuckled.

"Never," Seto smirked.

After that, I had made dinner for the three of us, and then we had decided to watch a movie to cool down with after all the playing we did together. We were huddled against each other on the couch like sardines with me in between Mokuba and Seto. Seto had his arm wrapped around me and I rested my head on his shoulder, and Mokuba rested his head on my shoulder. It was cute how they wanted to cuddle up to me.

After the movie, I noticed it had gotten late. It was now like 11:00 p.m.

"Oh goodness, I should be getting home," I remarked. Mokuba pouted.

"Awww…can't you stay the night, or the rest of the weekend?" Mokuba pleaded. He was so cute when he was pleading like that.

"Well, it's late for me, but I could stay if your brother said it was fine and I could get some stuff from home," I replied and looked at Seto for his approval.

"Alright, she can stay," Seto caved to his brother. Awww…he was such a sucker for Mokuba…but then again, I supposed I was too, so I really had no room to talk.

"YAY!" Mokuba cheered. "This is going to be so cool having you stay over!" Mokuba cheered. I was getting a feeling I was going to be staying longer than the weekend.

"I'll take you home to get your stuff," Seto offered. Wow…that was gentlemanly of him, and I had never known him to drive before. I felt myself go stiff with a bad feeling freezing me in my spot…Oh no…something bad was going to happen. They looked at me strangely.

"Misty? Is something wrong?" Seto asked.

"Um…I don't mind keeping my clothes and getting my stuff tomorrow," I replied nervously. "I'm fine wearing this to bed and wearing it until we can get to my apartment in the morning." I replied thinking of the first thing that came to mind with this feeling.

"I don't mind taking you back to your apartment," he assured me. I pursed my lips. "What are you worried about?"

"Um…I just have this weird sense something bad is going to happen…" I replied.

"You're worried about me driving? I drive safely," Seto assured me slightly irate.

"I didn't say it was about your driving…I'm…just feeling something about to happen…" I replied. Seto then kissed me.

"You'll be safe with me," he whispered against my lips. There was no convincing him…I reluctantly followed him to his garage and saw him go to a cobalt blue Ferrari. I wolf-whistled at the car and how hot he looked next to it.

"That is a hot car," I complimented him. He shrugged nonchalantly, but could see a bit of a smirk grace his lips. He opened the door for me and then closed it for me once I was in, then came around the driver's side and got in. I buckled up and admired the interior of the car. Seto pressed the garage button and it opened. I let my hand touch the door and I grew very stiff and froze up and saw a horrific vision before me, resulting in me being BADLY damaged and broken on the road tonight. I closed my eyes at the horrific sight and a few tears spilled from my eyes.

"Misty? Wh-what's wrong? You're scaring me! Why are you crying?" Seto asked frantically. I slowly opened my Niobe-like eyes and gave him a sad look. "What the hell is wrong?" Seto demanded.

"Be extra…c-careful tonight…k-k-keep your… eyes sharp… on the road…"I replied softly and hid my face as the tears poured. He stared at me for a few minutes, then started the car and started driving me home. He reached his hand over and squeezed mine. I squeezed back and then everything slowed down. I saw a black car coming at my side from 2 lanes in the mirror. I unbuckled and then dove in front of Seto and then heard glass shattering and LOUD crunching and then everything was dark, then bright white. I could see pinks, golds, pearly whites, silvers, and all manners of jewel colors. I looked down and was walking on clouds. I was surprised and shocked…this was Heaven! I then saw a LONG line and was being ushered by GORGEOUS angels to the end of the line. It was weird…I could still feel connected to almost all the senses of my body, so I must still be alive. Would I be dead when it was my turn? I could faintly hear Seto's desperate voice begging me not to die in my ears. I could feel my hand being squeezed in a vice-grip and never letting go, and I could feel aches in my right hip, my right leg, my right arm, my face, my chest, and my ribs, but they weren't crippling pains. The line moved forward and it felt like it was moving pretty fast for what it was, but there were a LOT of people here still.

It was scary sometimes watching St. Peter pull a switch and how everything went dark then a glowing red vortex of clouds opened into a gaping hole and the angels pushed the screaming soul through to Hell. The vortex then disappeared and everything was normal again. I shuddered at the thought of that.

I hadn't really noticed how the line was progressing, nor the amount of time that had elapsed.

"Please Misty…YOU CAN'T DIE ON ME! I-I need you!" I faintly heard Seto beg and felt as he squeezed my hand harder. There were two souls ahead of me now…Oh shit…I hadn't realized it was so close to being my turn already…the two of them got entrance to Heaven, and then it was my turn…

~Seto's POV~

I woke up at about 8:00 a.m. the next morning after a restful night of fantasizing about Misty and our makeout session last night. I smiled, but wished she was lying beside me so I could see her beautiful face. No matter, I'd get to see her in a little bit. I climbed out of bed, but I was feeling slightly uncomfortable and hard. I sighed. It was pleasant but still awkward to be so hard after thinking about her. I went to the bathroom and used it and then stripped down for my shower. I turned the water on and stepped under the water with a wishful sigh, wishing she was here.

"_Damn," my inner self remarked. "Is that all you ever seem to think about with her?" _

"_Her fault…" I replied. _

"_Whatever, Mr. Horny," my inner self replied. _

"_If I do recall, you were the one encouraging it," I retorted. "So, maybe it's your fault."_

"_Alright, touché, but pull yourself together when you see her," he warned. _

"_I will," I promised._

"_I doubt that…" he replied and then disappeared._ I cleaned myself up, turned off the water and then wrapped the towel around my waist and went to my room to get dressed. Great…now I wasn't sure what I wanted to wear, but I wanted to look good to her.

"_She doesn't care what you wear…" my inner self prodded. "Just pick something."_ I sighed…he was right…I was being foolish fretting over what to wear, but still…I managed to pick out a regular suit and then went to get breakfast together for myself and Mokuba. I cooked up some French toast and got the juice out. Mokuba wandered down the stairs, still sort of asleep and smiled.

"Mornin' Seto…" he greeted and then sat down for breakfast.

"Good Morning Mokuba," I replied with a bit of a smile he returned.

"Going to work today?" Mokuba asked.

"Nope," I replied. Mokuba smiled.

"We get to hang out today?"

"Yes, but we'll hang out later this afternoon. I'm going to take Misty shopping for her dress for the gala," I answered.

"Ooh! Can I come with?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Well, Mokuba, I was hoping to spend time alone with her…" I told him. He didn't seem bothered, in fact he smiled.

"Alright," he agreed. "I understand you need some alone time with her," Mokuba replied. He looked so pleased with the idea, but then again, he was the one pushing us the whole time. "Have fun," he told me and we continued to eat our breakfast happily.

"And afterwards, I'll probably bring her over so she can hang out with us," I told him. His smile got bigger.

"Really? Wow Seto, you've NEVER let ANYONE else come over, not even my friends," Mokuba remarked delighted. I couldn't help but smile. He was right…I had never had anyone come over except for the servants. She was the exception because I actually wanted her here to spend time with me and Mokuba, and she seemed to enjoy being with us too.

"Yeah, well she's different," I replied nonchalantly.

"Very different," Mokuba agreed. "Well, have a good time shopping. I can't wait to see how she looks in the dress," Mokuba told me.

"Yeah, me either," I agreed. "Thanks for the alone time. What are you going to do until we get back here?"

"I'll probably just play video games or do something to keep me from getting bored," Mokuba shrugged.

"Alright, well have fun," I told him. He nodded and we finished our breakfast. I looked at the time and saw it was 9:00 a.m. I supposed I should call her and let her know I was coming. I dialed her cell phone number and waited for her to pick up.

"H-Hello?"Misty asked groggily and irritably as she answered.

"Misty, glad you're up," I greeted coolly.

"I am now…" she retorted crabbily and yawned. Well, no shit…I figured she'd be up earlier actually. "What is the meaning of this, waking me up early on a Saturday morning?" she grumbled. I scoffed into the phone. Who did she think she was giving me attitude?

"_Well you did wake her up. Wouldn't you like to sleep in if you could? Women need their beauty sleep," my inner self reminded me. _

"_Beauty sleep or not, she shouldn't be talking like that."_

"_You woke her up…you know you're crabby if someone wakes you up…" my inner self reminded me. _

"We have business to attend to," I replied in my characteristically businessy voice. "I'll be coming to get you in an hour. Be ready," I commanded.

"'Kay," Misty mumbled and then hung up. I just hope she would be ready to go in an hour, but then again, she never failed me yet. To pass the time before I had to go get her, I went into my office and checked my emails and cleared out the unimportant emails and responded to the important ones, and then watched some TV without really paying attention to it until it was time to get her. I got Edward to come get me and take me over there. I actually jogged up the steps I was excited to see her. I knocked on the door, and there she was looking so cute and so feminine with that dress, blouse, sandals on her feet, and her hair pulled into a beautifully wavy half-ponytail. I smiled approvingly at her outfit and felt my heart jump a little.

"You look nice," I complimented her casually to play it cool. She smiled at the compliment and my heart jumped a little more at the sight of her smile.

"_Steady, Seto," my inner self told me. _

"Thanks. Come in," Misty invited hospitably and closed the door behind me, cleaned up her breakfast mess, and quickly went to the bathroom before reemerging and grabbing her purse and a jacket. In the meantime, I sat on her couch and waited for her to finish up. I told her to be ready to go already…

"_Well, she did need time to get ready…" my inner self reminded me. "And she'll be ready in a minute, so chill."_

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Misty announced and I rose from her couch, the same couch she and I made out on last night, and followed her to the door. Ah…there was the memory again, but I had to snap out of it. I watched as Misty made sure everything was locked up and I opened the door for her when she was satisfied everything was secure.

"Ladies first," I said politely as I gestured to the open door. She smiled and exited and waited for me to exit and shut the door. Misty locked her door and turned to me. I was glad she hadn't caught me staring at her, and I expertly looked cool. I offered my arm like after we left the restaurant last night and smiled a bit at her. I really liked how we walked arm in arm the way we did; it felt so right. Misty smiled back and snaked her arm through as I led her down the stairs to the limo, and opened the door for her, as usual. I was proud she seemed impressed. Misty got in and I followed suit and sat flush against her when I closed the door and Edward started driving away. I was glad I was allowed to sit this close to her now, and oh, how she smelled so good! What perfume was that? Mmm…it was sooo nice.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Misty asked. Hm? I was paying more attention to her smell and how lecherous I was starting to feel that I hoped she hadn't noticed.

"We're going dress shopping. The gala is in a couple weeks and you need your dress," I replied and then draped my arm around her shoulder casually and pulled her close. I figured she wouldn't mind considering how cozy we were making out last night, and I did consider her my girlfriend. I was surprised she seemed surprised.

"Is that all we're doing today?" she asked. Maybe that's why she was surprised.

"Likely, unless we figure out something else to do," I replied. "But the plan for the day is dress shopping, in upscale shops." I was shocked when her face suddenly paled at the mention of the upscale shops. What? What was the matter?

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're taking me to upscale shops?" she asked incredulously. Well, duh!

"Of course," I looked at Misty as if that were obvious. "I told you last night I wanted you to look good, especially if you're MY date, and I'm going to the best shops." Maybe she wasn't paying attention to that part last night…And where else would I shop? True, I got a lot of hand-me down clothes from the orphanage, but when I had gone shopping after Gozaboro died, I shopped at the upscale shops because he demanded his protégé look good, so it was ingrained into me. What else would I have known about shopping anyways? I never really had time to shop around, and I had all the money I'd need to get anything Mokuba and I wanted or needed, so it was kind of pointless. I hadn't expected THIS reaction from Misty. I figured she would've been excited at the idea…boy was I wrong!

"Right…" she agreed but was still uncomfortable. I sighed. What about this bothered her so much?

"What?" I asked exasperated. God…women could be so confusing…

"The employees are all going to look down on me…" Misty replied uneasily and fidgeted a little. Oh…THAT'S why…she was afraid they were going to give her a hard time. It made total sense. Well, no they wouldn't, not if I had anything to say or do about it.

"No they won't," I assured her and then came closer to her ear. "If necessary, I'll have them fired," I whispered. "Nobody would dare mock MY woman or anything else of mine if they valued their life." I felt her tremble a little. Was she being turned on a little? As far as my promise I just made to her about getting the employees fired, I stood by that. These people were supposed to suck up to customers no matter who they were, especially if they worked on commission. She still didn't seem at ease… I had to cheer her up quickly so this would be a smooth trip.

"If necessary, you can bring out your famous fiery temper," I added with a smirk. She half-smiled on that. "That's better," I told her and gave her a quick kiss. That worked.

"This feels like that scene from Pretty Woman where he took her shopping after all the clerks were mean to her because she was trashy looking," Misty replied. I shrugged cluelessly. I had no damn clue what the hell she was talking about.

"If you say so…" I replied. An awkward moment passed before she broke the silence. Thank God!

"So, since you said YOUR woman, I guess that makes me your…girlfriend, right?" Misty asked.

"Yes," I agreed with a bit of a smile. "You're my girlfriend now, especially after last night." She blushed adorably at that reminder. It was so endearing seeing her blushing.

"Good…I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page and all," she replied. Well, we were definitely an official couple, and the fact that she called me her boyfriend was music to my ears.

"Alright. I bet me being your boyfriend is going to break a lot of guys' hearts," I remarked.

"You lose," Misty replied. I was confused.

"What?" I asked surprised.

"You lose that bet," she explained. That didn't help… she rolled her eyes a little. "I really doubt you being my boyfriend is going to break anyone's heart…"she explained with a rueful half-smile. She seemed a little sad…but her response HAD to be a lie.

"Impossible…" I scoffed. I couldn't believe she put herself down like that… "Even Sr. Maldonado mentioned I should keep an eye on you because all the guys would be looking at you especially since you're as beautiful as a rose." Misty snorted in disbelief. Oh great…she didn't believe me...

"What was that snort for?"I asked and frowned.

"Yeah, Sr. Maldonado HAD said that about me, but given my past it's hard to believe guys would look at me," Misty retorted dryly. God she was so blind to her own power. It was frustrating.

"You are wrong," I replied with a triumphant smirk and earned a scowl from her to show she still didn't believe me. I KNEW I was right on this! I just wish she trusted me enough to believe me. "I had seen guys staring at you. You have no idea the effect you have on men, don't you?"

"Enlighten me, oh Great One," Misty retorted sarcastically. I didn't need her sarcasm right now…

"I notice how other men stare at you lasciviously. They're like dogs with their tongues hanging out. I've had to give them the evil eye if they stared at you," I answered. "If I hadn't been there, they may have tried something." I'm glad I was with her to ward off their attentions. I couldn't trust any of those guys as far as I could throw them. I didn't want her to be like a statistic in the newspaper for a sexual assault, or worse. I mentally shuddered at that.

"Yeah, lucky me, you saved guys from not coming up to me when they never would have anyways…" Misty retorted sarcastically. Ahh! God she was so frustrating and oblivious!

"_Maybe there's a deeper issue here? Like countless rejections?" my inner self suggested. That could be it. "Maybe she wanted the attention and to have someone want her, but was getting frustrated nobody would pay attention to her like that." _

"They probably would have, but they were probably intimidated," I offered trying to appease her, but I still thought she was ludicrous.

"By what?" she asked.

"Well, probably by me, but also because of you." Oh great…

"_Smooth…" _

"Me? How?" Hmm…how to answer this without shoving the foot further down my throat…

"Well, you're very strong minded and fiery, and it emanates off of you, like a radiator. They probably aren't sure they can handle it like I can," I answered. I hoped that helped her. Even if she did want the attention, those losers didn't deserve her.

"I suppose you're right," she sighed. I was surprised she agreed so quickly. "Those guys probably don't have the cojones to ask me out if they liked me." What? What did that mean?

"Ca-ho-nes?" I asked confused as I sounded it out.

"They don't have the balls to approach me," Misty clarified. Oh! Now I get it! I smirked a little. Crude humor, but at least she had something with this, and at least she was recognizing now that they were worthless because they weren't real men if they didn't have the balls to ask her out, unlike me.

"No they don't," I agreed pleased. "And I'm glad they don't because that means you're all mine."

"I suppose so," Misty agreed. Good…now we were getting somewhere. I smiled and kissed MY woman. She kissed back and I upped the passion. She wasn't going to dominate me at this, no matter how much she tried! Misty matched me a bit and ran her fingers through my hair and then pulled away when I kissed even harder, but gave me a little bit of a smile and another light kiss. I understood why she pulled away…if she hadn't stopped me, we'd be making out heavily, and she seemed a little nervous about going further than intense kissing. I couldn't say I blamed her; all that passion was very blinding and intoxicating. It would be too easy to get so lost and swept away by the passion current. Still, the sweet little kiss was just as nice. I pulled her close in an embrace. She seemed so happy and carefree in my arms and it made me swell with pride that she felt so safe with me.

"_Awww…" my inner self gushed._

"I'm glad you're my first girlfriend," I told her. It felt great to tell her that. Misty looked up at me and smiled and blushed a little. Awww…she was so adorable.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're my first "real" boyfriend," Misty replied. WHAT? I couldn't believe that…

"Real boyfriend?" I asked surprised. Was there a difference in boyfriends?

"Yes, you're my first "real" boyfriend," Misty repeated. "I've only had 3 loser "school" boyfriends, meaning I only saw them at school…they never really wanted to hang out with me outside of school…I never even had my first kiss until last night," she explained. Seriously? These guys never wanted to hang out with HER? And she got her first kiss last night with me? She had to be lying…it was just too unbelievable….

"Impossible," I scoffed incredulously.

"I'm serious. You deflowered these lips," Misty answered and pointed to her lips. She was very serious, but then again, it made me so damn happy; NOBODY had touched her lips but me, and I felt so honored being the first to kiss her. I wanted more and damn it, I was going to enjoy more and never let her get away from me.

"And I'm about to do it again," I smirked and kissed her passionately again, my tongue caressing her lips and tongue. MMMMM… Misty pulled away when I tried to intensify it even more, and to breathe and she blushed. I liked how she reacted to my lips and tongue against hers.

"You know, for a virgin kisser, you are really good at it…" I smirked. I was surprised she was so good to set my body into lustful overdrive like she could.

"I guess I win the title of Kissing Rookie of the Year then?" Misty asked. I laughed. Oh! God! That was funny! But yeah, she did have a point.

"Yeah, sure," I conceded and then whispered into her ear. "I'm in the same boat as you. I didn't get my first kiss until last night either." Well, I had to be truthful to her…I never had my first kiss either. Sure, the bimbo fangirls TRIED to kiss me, but I made sure I pushed them away hard so they couldn't. Misty was the ONLY girl I had ever wanted to kiss and got my wish granted from, and plus I figured it was fair that I revealed that part of me since she revealed I deflowered her lips…oh…her juicy, plump, pink lips…they were a drug…and they were all mine to kiss and taste.

"You're just saying that," Misty accused, snapping me out of my reverie. Well, I suppose it was fair of her to disbelieve me…

"No. You're the only girl I found worthy of kissing," I told her honestly as I stared into those deep, warm, chocolate-colored eyes of hers. I made her blush again and made my insides flutter a little.

"Well, I guess we both win the Kissing Rookie of the Year title then," she remarked still blushing. Well, I was glad she and I shared that title.

"Yes, I guess we do. By the way, you look beautiful when you blush." She grew even redder when I said that. Ah…that was so irresistible.

"And you look cute with your hair all messed up from making out," Misty teased with a chuckle and pointed at my hair. I checked the mirror and then smirked at how she had mussed it up so much.

"I guess it means my girlfriend can be a very wild creature and can't keep her hands to herself," I retorted playfully. She gave me a mock scowl.

"You're just as bad. Damn, you were almost all over me last night and a few minutes ago," she retorted. I shrugged nonchalantly. Well, yeah, but what was she going to do? And yes, I loved every minute of it.

"Can't help it if my girlfriend is hot and I want to touch," I replied and she smiled a little. There we go a beautiful little smile. But it was true, she was hot and I wanted to run my hands all along those bountiful curves that would not stop…and to squeeze them. Oh lord…I was turning into an animal right now. "I'm just glad nobody else had touched my girl," I blurted honestly.

"Yep…I was saving my first kiss and being pawed at for you," Misty replied half-sarcastically. What was up with the half-sarcasm? I thought she enjoyed it. What, did she actually not want to give me that reward? What did she mean? Why the sudden change in mood and tone when I told her I was glad nobody else had touched her? I saw slight pain in her eyes. Damn…I was an idiot…damn it! I upset her…

"I was pretty much kept at a distance by everyone except my closest friends and family. Nobody wanted to really get close to me except them, so I was a bit of an outcast in school and didn't really fit in anywhere…" she told me glumly, but then she smiled a little. "But now, I've got 2 guys and 3 gals who would do anything to stay as close as possible to me," she added and laced fingers with mine. I sighed heavily. Poor Misty…she was as much of an outcast as Mokuba and I had been. To have nobody really want to be with you except for the few people that actually did really hurt…but I wasn't going to let her feel that way. I was just glad she recognized that with me and Mokuba, and her girlfriends.

"I can't believe nobody wanted to get close to you…Well, it shows just how idiotic they were for passing you over. You're worth more than all the money I could ever have, and I'm not going to let you go that easily," I told her and was glad to see a smile grace her face again. I still couldn't believe the nerve of those idiots who passed her over like she was nothing! They seriously missed out on this beautiful, rare treasure presently in my arms.

"Really?"

"Really," I answered with my characteristic seriousness and kissed her. I was dead serious about what I had said, and I never said anything without meaning it. My insides lurched and fluttered when she hugged me happily.

"Thank you, Seto…"she said softly. I sighed inwardly as I held her. "Hey, if we were in High School together, would you have wanted to be with me, or been my friend?" I was a little surprised at that question.

"_She needs more reassurance you were being serious…she's probably been fed that line or something similar numerous times in school and then was torn down with something else after," my inner self told me. Good point. _

"Yes," I replied.

"Really?" It was sad how she didn't believe me.

"Yes, really. Though I might have been even more nervous around you." I admitted.

"Why?" she asked. Argh!

"You saw how nervous I was yesterday…" I answered slightly exasperated.

"Once again, why would you have been nervous?" ARGH!

"Well, you're smart, classy, creative, independent, pretty, strong, feisty, and unique. You don't see a combination like that very often, and I'm not a very social person, so it would've taken a while to actually have a conversation with you," I explained as best I could. I remembered high school…If she had come to Domino High, oh I probably would have been a coward wanting to get to know her and waiting until I had the courage to approach her, knowing she probably wouldn't have approached me on her own. Last night, I barely kept it together when it came to the date. What would I do about seeing her everyday and trying to work up courage to even talk to her?

"_But she did approach you…she applied for the job and came to interview with you to get it," my inner self reminded me. "And you do see her everyday and talk to her."_

"_High school isn't the same as being interviewed for a job…She had no idea who I was when we met. If we were in high school together, my reputation would have preceded me and she would have gotten preconceived notions in her head about me and never would have approached me…and she might have hung out with Yugi and his loser squad...ugh!" I replied exasperated._

"Am I really that hard to approach?" Misty groaned. Oh here we go again…

"Yes and no."

"Explain." Oh great…how the hell do I explain this to her?

"Well, that strong, feisty independence might be a little intimidating because people are not sure if they can handle a feisty personality, but you've also got a vibe that shows you may look cool on the outside, but you're very warm if people come closer and get to know you better. It's like finding a house in the middle of a snowstorm, and inside it looks very warm and cozy, but you're not sure if you'd be welcomed in, but once you get in, you relax a bit better." It was a weird analogy, but it was the first thing that came to mind. She smiled amusedly. I guess she liked it. Good.

"That's an interesting analogy," She told me. I shrugged.

"That was the easiest way I could explain it," I replied and the limo had stopped. "We're here. Come on, let's go."

"Wait. I'll go in on two conditions…"Misty bargained. I didn't have time nor patience to deal with her stupid conditions right now.

"And those are?" I demanded. Why did she have to drag her feet now?

"One…" She kissed me. Okay, I admit, I liked that condition. "Two…If you're going to get me a formal dress, you have to agree to let me take you shopping for casual clothes. Deal?" Misty asked and stuck her hand out for a handshake. Alright, I supposed I handle that. Instead of shaking her hand, I kissed her to seal the deal; I liked kissing her better than shaking her hand for a deal.

"Deal," I answered when I pulled away. I got out and then helped her out of the limo and laced my fingers with hers. She seemed surprised, but I didn't care if anyone saw right now. We walked in together and the bell above the door jingled.

"Ah, hello Mr. Kaiba, um, Ms. Robinson, what can we do for you today?" an associate greeted us.

"She needs a turquoise gown for a gala on Valentine's Day, and she needs to look stunning," I ordered, going into business mode.

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba," the associate replied slightly timidly. I remembered Misty's fear about them looking down on her derisively and disrespectfully, and then got everyone together in the shop.

"I want you to take good care of Misty, or I swear I will have you all fired, got it?" I hissed my eyes boring into them.

"Got it…" everyone agreed nervously. I was surprised she yanked me to her.

"Don't embarrass me…" she whisper-hissed.

"I'm just making sure you're taken care of," I whispered back innocently. Well, I was…I wanted them to take my threat seriously and to force them to respect her. She'd have to start liking it…

"Well don't embarrass me…" she commanded. Immediately, all the associates were SERIOUSLY sucking up to her and she was swarmed with the associates catering to her every whim. Good…they took what I said seriously. This would make things so much easier. The three that had been measuring her ushered her into the dressing room and the ones who had gotten the dresses started handing them over the dressing room door to her. I waited for her to try the gowns on and show me, and I was sure I was going to be very impressed with how she looked, but then I was disappointed when she came out each time and looked nothing like the image I saw in my head. The way these gowns were didn't suit her at all. Of course, I made my critical opinion well known, and I could tell she was starting to get crabby.

"No! No! No! None of those gowns are good enough," I growled in frustration. I saw her fire return to her eyes.

"ISN'T THERE ANY DRESS YOU DO LIKE? I TRIED ALL OF THE TURQUOISE GOWNS IN MY SIZE ON AND YOU HATE EVERY ONE OF THEM!" Misty demanded irritably.

"None of them suit you right. We'll just have to go to another store." I told her and she sighed exasperated, but then one associate came back with another gown. I think this employee was determined to make this work and obviously didn't want us to leave. Well, if this one didn't work, then yes, we would leave. It wasn't quite turquoise, but it was a turquoise/seafoam green blend with jade green enhancements. I was surprised when I heard her gasp when she saw it, and her jaw hung to the floor. She grabbed it from the employee excitedly and scurried back to the dressing room. Oh? I think we might have some potential here if she reacted like that… She came out of the dressing room and everyone gasped, including me. I was stunned! She looked like the Greek goddess of water! I loved the way the jade green crisscrossing ribbons under the bust and at the waist gave her an hourglass illusion, and I liked the one shouldered bandage-style bust. I'd like to unwrap that! The way the skirt draped over those hips flowed gracefully like a waterfall, and the ribbons wrapping and twisting around her arm, wow. Oh yeah, she'd OWN the room with THIS dress, especially the way she glowed happily in it. This was DEFINITELY THE perfect dress for her!

"We got that one from a new up and coming designer," one of the associates told us. I barely cared who designed it, but this designer was a genius. I may have to get her gowns from solely this designer.

"That's the one," I announced. I felt a jolt to the heart when she smiled happily, and of course so were the associates. They got lucky…

"It's almost like it was made for her," one of the associates remarked. I couldn't agree more. I inwardly chuckled as Misty seemed reluctant to go back into the dressing room to change since she sighed as she went back to the dressing room. I met her at the counter where she gingerly handed the dress to the cashier to be rung up.

"That will be ¥200,000."I put the money down glad we found this dress and didn't have to go anywhere else to find it. Misty seemed suddenly exhilarated and sat down in the chair. As a reward for following my orders and making her happy, I put more money down.

"A tip for everyone," I told them. The cashier smiled and gently wrapped the dress and put it in a bag.

"Thank you, come back and see us," she said. I went over to Misty, grabbed her hand and yanked her upwards against me and laced my fingers with hers as we went to the limo in silence. I had to yank her up since she was practically frozen to the chair. Why, I had no clue.

"You're welcome," I said and stared at her curiously to figure out why she was so stunned.

"Th-thank…you…" Misty replied. I cocked my head and looked at her puzzled. I didn't understand how she could freeze up on me.

"You alright?" I asked.

"¥200,000…for a dress…" she replied.

"So?" I asked.

"¥200,000 for a dress…" she repeated.

"I know," I replied tersely. I paid for the dress, I know what it cost.

"How the hell does that NOT bother you?" she demanded. Oh great…she was upset…but why?

"It just doesn't. I'm used to it. Don't worry about it."

"I can worry if I want! Spending ¥200,000 on a dress doesn't seem like a big deal, but it bothers the hell out of me," Misty retorted.

"Why?"

"Spending that much money on a dress that's hardly worn is such a waste, especially when that money could go towards more useful things like rent, bills, a car, groceries, tuition…" she replied. Oh, I sort of see her point.

"Luckily for me I have plenty of money to cover all that." She pressed a palm to her forehead in exasperation. She wasn't the only one…my inner self did the same thing.

"Yeah, YOU don't have to worry about all that, but I do!" she shot back and sighed a moment trying to calm down. "I never even spent $100 on a dress! My Homecoming dress I showed you last night was only $70, and my prom dress was $40! I have to be so very frugal with my money and not waste so much when I have to use every last bit of it. I spend little on my clothes and have them for years because I can't afford to go shopping. I even have hand-me-downs from my mom and my cousins, and then give away my clothes that don't fit me or are worn out. Seeing that exorbitant price for just ONE dress almost made me faint!" she yelled. I sighed and felt bad. I took my fortune for granted and I forgot how she wasn't as fortunate, but I was hoping we could drop this subject so we could enjoy the rest of our day together.

"What will it take for you to drop this so we can enjoy our day?" I asked annoyed.

"_God you're insensitive…" my inner self scolded me and mentally slapped me. _

"I challenge you when we go shopping for you to spend ¥15,000 on casual clothes and accessories, and nothing over that. Maybe then you'll understand frugality and what I have to go through," Misty retorted. She seriously said that? Who does she think she is telling me how to spend my money?

"You're telling me how to spend my money?" I asked incredulously. I can't believe she had some nerve to do that.

"_Well, you did deserve it," my inner self said smugly."And of course SHE would be the one to tell you, you idiot…"_

"Well, you wanted me to drop the whole dress deal. I'll drop it after you accept my challenge and see it through. Deal?" Misty asked fiercely. Wow…she was really mad, and she seemed like she could torch me right now if she had a mind to. I HAD to accept.

"Deal. Anything to drop it." Misty pointed to her lips to seal the deal, so I leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Good," she replied with a smile and then picked up the limo phone to call Edward. "Edward, could you take us to a superstore?" she asked. She thanked him and hung up the phone.

"What kind of casual clothes are we looking for, and why exactly are we getting them?" I asked. I had to know what I was getting into.

"We need to get you jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, relaxed shirts, tennies, all that jazz. You're too dressed up for the weekend. You need clothes you can just relax and hang out in. Stuff that won't be cumbersome when you're playing with Mokuba and having fun," Misty explained. I guess that made sense. What were "tennies?"

"Alright," I agreed not knowing what else to say. What was I supposed to say? I already was wrangled into this deal.

"You pulled me out of my comfort zone and took me to a dress shop I wouldn't have dared gone in without you, and now it's time I pull you out of your comfort zone and take you shopping for relaxed clothes. Fair's fair. Trust me, you'll feel so much better," she assured me. By her logic, it did sound fair.

"I'll hold you to that," I replied. I was very skeptical she could make me enjoy this. _My inner self conked me again._

"_I'm getting really tired of you doing that…" I grumbled to him._

"_Then stop being an idiot," he growled. _ It wasn't very long before Edward dropped us off at the front of a superstore. Misty grabbed a basket and she and I walked into the store with our fingers laced. I knew people were staring at us, but I frankly didn't care. I gave them all a sharp, "don't even think about approaching" look and went to the men's section. I started looking at the stuff on the racks, looking at stuff I'd normally wear such as dressy shirts and slacks. I could tell she was sort of watching me and was starting to put stuff in the cart. I wasn't sure if I liked some of the stuff, but I'd try them on…for her.

"Alright, go try these on," Misty ordered and brought me to the dressing rooms. I went into one with the clothes and took off my regular clothes and then started trying on some tan pants with a lot of pockets and a button-down shirt. At least I felt more comfortable with the shirt. I came out of the dressing room and Misty looked at me and smiled. The smile was totally worth it.

"It looks great on you!" She complimented me. I looked in the mirror appraising the outfit and I gave a little bit of a half smile. I looked good, but yet so different.

"I feel so different, so unlike me," I remarked.

"That's good," she encouraged. "Now try some other combinations. Try adding t-shirts with the button down shirt," she suggested. Alright, I supposed I could try that. I trusted her. I went back into the dressing room and tried on another shirt and some jeans and then came out. I caught her ogling me through the mirror and I couldn't help smirking at how she was checking me out. She really seemed to like the jeans on me, and it looked like I was turning her on.

"You look very sexy," Misty whispered to me. I smiled and I could feel myself starting to get turned on too, just by her thinking I looked sexy. "And you look very rockin'," she added. I thought it was so cute how she got so excited. I was actually starting to have fun trying all these clothes on, especially if it meant she was going to be ogling me every time I came out of that dressing room. She was making me feel like a damn sexy rockstar. I tried everything on and then put my original clothes back on and put the stuff I tried on in the cart. Okay, what next? I got my answer when she started leading me to the shoes section. Wow, this store had everything! She then stopped in an aisle that had men's sneakers. Oh, now I got what tennies were…they were tennis shoes. She then had me try on a few pairs of "tennies" and I really liked a plain white pair and a pair that was white with blue accents, but the ones with the blue felt the most comfortable.

"They also match your eyes," she told me. I couldn't help chuckling at the cheesiness of her comment, but it was cute all the same coming from her. Was this everything I needed? I guess not because then she took me to the accessories section and saw some cool fedoras, belts, and other accessories for me to wear. I didn't want to be gaudy looking... Misty playfully grabbed a fedora and put it on my head and smiled. Her smile was cute, but I wasn't sure the fedora suited me well enough for me to want it. However, she did find a leather wristcuff that I liked and I tried it on. I saw a devilish gleam in her eyes. What kind of naughty things was she thinking? Yeah, I was going to get the wristcuff because I liked seeing how she had a devilish look in her eyes, and it amplified my sexy rockstar feeling. Since we were here, I figured I should get a few other staple clothes (socks and underwear). It felt kind of awkward picking them out with her around, but she didn't seem fazed. And then it was time to go buy it all. While I was waiting in line behind a few people with groceries and a crapload of other stuff, she disappeared a moment and then returned with a manly body spray and tossed it in with my stuff. I smirked inwardly. I think she was giving me another sexy hint. I was definitely going to try it out if she found it sexy. The cashier rang up my stuff and everything added up to being ¥12,000. I paid for the stuff and turned to her and smiled proudly knowing I had met her challenge with money to spare.

"I did it."

"Yes, you did," she smiled proudly. I beamed knowing she was equally as proud of me as I was of myself. I almost felt cocky. "See? That's what I go through when I go shopping." Now I understood where she was coming from. She only had a set amount of money she allowed herself to buy clothes with when she needed them, and she looked for good prices and the practicality of what she was buying.

"I never knew it was that much fun." It was true. I did have a lot of fun, but I guess it was because she was here helping me…and ogling me.

"Well, you just have to open up a bit more," she replied and kissed me boldly in front of everyone, their watching eyes be damned. We decided to grab a quick lunch at a fast food place and picked up some lunch for Mokuba. I was sure Mokuba hadn't eaten lunch yet and he'd be excited to eat what we got for him for lunch. Edward drove us back to the mansion and Mokuba was practically already at the door when we entered, like an eager puppy.

"Misty!" Mokuba greeted and gave her a big hug. Misty smiled and hugged him and affectionately ruffled his hair. I smiled at the sight of them being so affectionate with each other.

"Hey bud!" Misty greeted back.

"Did you have a good day shopping?"

"Yes, we did. We had lots of fun. I wish you could have been there with us," she told him. Awww…she wanted to include him…

"Well, Seto did say he wanted it to be just you and him," Mokuba replied with a bit of a smile on his face. She smiled back, obviously touched by what he said about giving us time to ourselves to bond. Though I did want some alone time with Misty, I supposed I could make some of the dates with her, Mokuba, and myself all together, as a family. Wow…a tingle went down my spine as I thought of Misty as a part of this small little family; it just felt so right, and like she truly belonged here.

"Well, now all three of us can hang out now," Misty told Mokuba and hugged him. The way Misty acted with him so affectionately just confirmed how much she belonged here. I was barely paying attention to what they were talking about.

"Right! So, what did you get?" Mokuba asked eagerly, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Well, I got my gown, and I made Seto get casual clothes to relax and hang out in," Misty answered.

"Really? I never thought I'd see Seto wearing casual clothes," Mokuba replied with a chuckle. "You've really got it bad for her Seto," Mokuba teased playfully, and Misty and I chuckled in agreement.

"Why, yes I do," I agreed and glanced at me. It was the truth; I really did have it bad for her. Misty blushed a little when I said that, and Mokuba grinned like a Cheshire cat. I think she had it bad for me too, or at least I hope she did.

"So, how about you go try on the stuff and show me?" Mokuba suggested.

"Alright," we agreed and carried our clothes to separate rooms. I undressed and decided on wearing one of my favorite combos- dark Jeans, a blue striped button-down, a navy t-shirt, the tennies, and the rockstar cuff. I also got out the body spray she picked and spritzed some on. It was a pretty nice, masculine scent, and I wondered if she actually would go crazy for it. I still couldn't believe that was ME staring back from the mirror, and I remembered how I caught her checking me out through the dressing room mirror, making me smirk. Yeah, I was a sexy bad-ass. Misty and I came out at the same time, and I still couldn't get over how gorgeous she looked in that dress; that dress was worth EVERY part the money I paid for it. Misty gave me a coy smirk as she was checking me out again and sniffing the air, showing she liked the smell too. She also giggled. I think maybe it was because I was underdressed next to her. We laced fingers again, and I could feel her glancing at me from the corner of her eye as we walked to show Mokuba.

"Wow! Misty you look so beautiful! And Seto, wow! Nobody would think it was you! I wouldn't even recognize you right away! It looks awesome!" Mokuba remarked. We smiled proudly, and then I thought about going to change into my original clothes I was wearing today, but I figured since I was going to hang out with Mokuba and Misty, I might as well stay in this outfit. I had to get used to it sometime, and it might as well be now.

"Seto, this is so cool!" Mokuba beamed excitedly. "What made you decide to get casual clothes?"

"Misty. It was a condition she gave me for taking her to a dress shop she wasn't quite comfortable going into, so I agreed. She got a bit shocked with the price of the dress and berated me for spending that much money on ONE dress. So, she also challenged me to spend less that ¥15,000 to get these clothes," I explained.

"Well, she does have a point Seto. I'm glad she challenged you like that so it's easier to understand that about her," Mokuba told me. I really didn't have much to argue about with him making that point. "You look great Seto," Mokuba told me.

"Thank you Mokuba. Oh, by the way, she and I stopped at a fast food place for lunch, and we brought you some lunch," I replied suddenly remembering the food. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled, and he chuckled sheepishly. I chuckled and handed him the bag of food.

"Thanks Seto!" He scampered off to the kitchen, leaving me standing there waiting for Misty to come out. I smirked knowing she'd be happily surprised to see me still wearing this outfit. She came out of the room with her original dress and stopped a moment in her tracks when she saw me. I smiled a little knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Might as well start putting them to use," I answered her thoughts for her.

"Yeah, you might as well," Misty agreed happily. Since it was just the two of us, I figured it would be nice to sit together on the couch in the living room. I watched her looking around the space. I wondered if she was impressed. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me, savoring the smell and the feel of her against my body.

"So, are you impressed?"I asked, trying to appear impressive in front of her. I guess it was the primal, masculine side of me trying to show off a little.

"A little, yeah," she admitted. I smirked a little proudly at her admission; it was a nice stroke to the ego. "But I'm more interested in the person next to me with his arm around my waist," she teased.

"I should hope so," I retorted playfully and made her chuckle. I felt so carefree and relaxed right now. This was perfect- my beautiful woman here in my arms, smiling endearingly at me. I reached out my hand and stroked those beautiful, dark chocolate waves and relished their silky feel between my fingers. I couldn't help smiling at her as she smiled and gazed at me. Her hand came up and caressed my face gingerly, and the feel of her hand was so silky soft and warm, I couldn't help closing my eyes in pleasure. It sent some of my nerves to tingling, and I couldn't resist pulling her closer and kissing her. Her mouth was so divine. We pulled away blushing when we heard Mokuba chuckling.

"Don't stop because of me. I'd been hoping to see that," Mokuba said with a Cheshire cat grin. Of course HE'D want to see that, he was the matchmaker in this who forced her and me together. Misty still blushed at being caught. I probably was sure I was still blushing too, but I didn't mind so much that Mokuba had caught us kissing. I was sort of glad we stopped, or it might have gotten almost too intense.

"So, what do you want to do, bud?" Misty asked awkwardly and modestly, hoping to distract him. "I'm all yours and your brother's to hang out with today." Mokuba beamed excitedly. It was nice knowing she would rather be here hanging out with us than anywhere else.

"Well, we can play video games, board games, outside games, we could practice dueling, and watch movies," Mokuba offered. All very good ideas.

"That sounds good Mokuba. One thing you've got to know…Tag! You're it!" Misty exclaimed as she touched his shoulder and bolted away from him, and so had I once I realized what had just happened. We then ran outside with Mokuba chasing us.

"Hey! I'm going to get you!" Mokuba shouted and we were all laughing as we ran. Since she had a head start, she was further away, so Mokuba managed to catch up to me and touch my back.

"Tag! You're it, Seto," Mokuba said. I don't think Misty had heard or seen him tag me. Mokuba had disappeared as soon as he tagged me, and since Misty hadn't seen, I'd sneak up on her and tag her. I had come up to her quietly and she had almost tripped on a rock, but since I was right there, I grabbed her arm and prevented her from falling to the ground, but she sorta fell against me. I smirked and lightly kissed her and whispered in her ear "Tag. You're it." I let her go and then ran away. She chased after me and Mokuba and then disappeared. Where'd she go? Mokuba and I started looking for her. Mokuba was a little wary of getting close to me, but I told him that I had tagged her and she was it now. Hm…where did she go? When did she change the game to hide and seek? Oh God! I stiffened up and felt a finger claw down my spine, making me hard. Oh! Damnit!

"Tag. You're it now," she told me and ran away with Mokuba. I was soooo going to get her back for that! I was gaining on her, but she ran in zigzags so I couldn't catch her, so I had to settle for catching Mokuba instead since he was easier to get to. We kept tagging each other until we collapsed on the ground laughing. I forgot about my slight irritation with her, but it was good to laugh and it was nice to act like kids without a care in the world again. We got up and went back inside laughing and replaying the best captures. Luckily, Misty hadn't replayed the sexy clawing down the back capture. I didn't need Mokuba to see that one and its effect on me. We sat down and caught our breath, and then I figured it would be nice if Mokuba and I gave her a tour of the rest of the mansion, since I planned on bringing her here more often and I wanted her to feel like she was at home here. I felt a little strange and secretly turned on as I showed her where my room was and what it looked like. I mean, it was a big house, and I figured she should know what my room looked like in case she had to find me, or stumbled into my room if she got lost and could find her way back, …or in case she was in the mood…oh God…Keep it together Seto! Keep cool! I glanced at her to gauge her reaction and if she noticed how turned on I was. I hope she didn't notice it right now with Mokuba around.

"Nice," she remarked casually. Whew! Mokuba showed her his room and we showed her the other rooms and then took her to an area that looked like the practice arena at work. Mokuba looked at her with a grin. What was he thinking?

"I challenge you to a duel!" he exclaimed. This should be an entertaining duel. He knew she was powerful, but I guess he wanted to feel her dueling power himself. I sat on one of the bleachers, eagerly watching. This should be interesting.

"You really think that's wise with all the times you watched me?" Misty bantered with a smirk.

"I want to try myself," Mokuba replied. I noticed he was starting to get a little bit of a duel flame like she did. Yeah, my brother was a very good duelist, so it could be anybody's game.

"Alright, suit yourself. I'm not going to show you any mercy because I like you," she warned him.

"Give me the same intensity as all your other duels!" he commanded.

"Alright, you're going to get bit by a rattlesnake," she warned and smirked, her eyes glowing brightly as her duel flame had just been ignited again.

"Bring it on, sister," he taunted. Whoa… he actually called her his sister. They dueled, and of course, she beat him. Mokuba smiled at her proudly, not at all bitter. In fact he was happy and impressed. "Oh yes, you're sooo going to kick the others' butts so easily!" she bowed a little.

"Why thank you kiddo, you were pretty hot too," she grinned. Of course, she was adorably humble and modest. Mokuba chuckled and then hugged her excitedly. I taught her well and she kept herself sharp. I was so proud of her.

"Thanks Misty. And I meant what I said, when I called you sister," Mokuba told her as he hugged her, his big grey eyes shining brightly at her. Misty smiled and then ruffled his hair. I was glad Mokuba and I were on the same page about wanting her to be a part of this family. Someday, she will be officially.

"I'm honored, but it's a little soon," Misty told him.

"I know, but I can't wait for you to be my sister for real. I know it's going to happen!" Mokuba assured her, almost promising it he was so confident. Wow, that was freaky. It was almost like he was vocalizing my thoughts for me. At least Misty was being realistic and levelheaded about the idea. Misty smiled at him and gave him another squeeze. I was happy she was flattered and open to the idea. I realized I wanted to hold her in my arms.

"Hey, quit hogging my girlfriend," I bantered playfully with Mokuba. Mokuba stuck his tongue out at me playfully, earning a noogie.

"Hey! Seto! Stop!" Mokuba exclaimed while chuckling and playfully punching my arm while Misty laughed. We calmed down a little and played a board game and after that, Mokuba tried to teach her how to play DDR on his Playstation. I couldn't help but chuckle as she seemed so clumsy at the game and she got D's. I guess she wasn't quite used to playing it.

"You'll get it Misty. You just need some practice," Mokuba said encouragingly with a warm smile. Aww, that was nice of him to tell her that. I was sure she was embarrassed and his comment was a little bit of balm to help her feel better.

"Thanks." I was still snickering a little, and I tried to stop, but it was hard to. "Something funny?" she asked with her arms crossed over her chest and a mock scowl.

"Yeah, you do need practice," I agreed with a smirk. I was glad she was being lighthearted about her awkward DDR skills.

"Yeah, I know I do. Now I'd like to see YOU do it," she challenged. Alright. If she wanted to she see a pro do it, I might as well show her.

"Easy. Watch, and learn," I smirked cockily and then started doing it on a medium level. I could feel her watching me closely, and I smirked. Yeah, I was showing off a bit, so what? At the end of my round I had made some A's and B's. I grinned cockily. I was glad I had played with Mokuba all those times.

"Impressive," Misty remarked casually. I shrugged nonchalantly, but it was hard to wipe the cocky smirk from my face. At least it was more like a playful cockiness.

"I practiced with Mokuba in our brotherly time together," I explained.

"Of course…" she remarked and our eyes made contact. I could see a smile in those chocolate eyes, and it made my insides flutter a little. "Don't let the fame go to your head," she advised playfully and I chuckled. God she was cute.

"Never," I smirked.

After that, she had made a delicious dinner for the three of us, and then we had decided to watch a movie to cool down with after all the playing we did together. Perfect. We put the movie in and she sat between Mokuba and me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close so she could rest her head on my shoulder and Mokuba rested against her other side. I barely paid any attention to the movie, I was more interested in glancing at Misty every so often and how she sometimes shifted against me. This was so nice.

After the movie, I noticed the clock had said it was 11:00 at night.

"Oh goodness, I should be getting home," Misty remarked. Mokuba pouted. I was a bit disappointed she had said that too.

"Awww…can't you stay the night, or the rest of the weekend?" Mokuba pleaded.

"Well, it's late for me, but I could stay if your brother said it was fine and I could get some stuff from home," she replied and looked at me for approval. Excellent!

"Alright, she can stay," I answered. I was happy! She was going to stay over!

"_Nice going," my inner self gave me kudos. _

"YAY! This is going to be so cool having you stay over!" Mokuba cheered.

"I'll take you home to get your stuff," I offered. I knew my Edward and the other chauffeurs were off the clock already, and I didn't want to bother them in their off time, especially since Mokuba and I never really went out this late on a Saturday night, and I sorta wanted to show off more to her, and we could have more time to ourselves, just the two of us. I was also sure she wanted some fresh clothes and I was fresh out of women's clothes, except for the gown I got her, but I doubted she wanted to wear that tomorrow. I noticed she suddenly froze to her spot and she seemed alarmed. Oh no…not a good sign…was it because she was staying over?

"Misty? Is something wrong?" I asked. I was very worried about that look on her face.

"Um…I don't mind keeping my clothes and getting my stuff tomorrow," she replied nervously. "I'm fine wearing this to bed and wearing it until we can get to my apartment in the morning." Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? It was unnerving me a little. I could feel something claw at my mind, but I couldn't place the feeling.

"I don't mind taking you back to your apartment," I assured her. She pursed her lips. "What are you worried about?"

"Um…I just have this weird sense something bad is going to happen…" she replied. What? The clawing at the back of my mind happened again more intensely. Was it because I was going to be driving that she was worried?

"You're worried about me driving? I drive safely," I assured her slightly irate. I felt insulted she would think about me that way, and I was irate at the clawing in the back of my mind.

"I didn't say it was about your driving…I'm…just feeling something about to happen…" Misty replied. I kissed her, hoping it would help calm her down and relax her. "You'll be safe with me," I whispered against her lips. I wouldn't let any harm come to her if I could. The clawing was nagging at me worse.

"_I warned you…" the shadow figure hissed. Oh, that could NOT be a good sign…_

She reluctantly followed me to my garage as I went to a cobalt blue Ferrari. She seemed to forget about her worry a moment and wolf-whistled.

"That is a hot car," She complimented me. It was a nice stroke to the ego. I shrugged nonchalantly, but a bit of a smirk played at my lips. There was just something about her that wanted to make me try to impress her as much as I could. I opened the door for her and then closed it for her once she was in, then came around the driver's side and got in. She buckled up and admired the interior of the car. I was a bit proud she seemed impressed. I pressed the garage button and it opened. She touched the door handle and she froze and stiffened, and her chocolate eyes looked blank and terrified. She closed her eyes and a few tears spilled from her eyes. Oh shit! Oh shit! Not good…

"Misty? Wh-what's wrong? You're scaring me! Why are you crying?" I asked frantically. I didn't know what to do or say. Something was TERRIBLY wrong and I was scared to no end. She slowly opened her eyes as tears continued to fall and gave me a sad look that would positively haunt me. It was like she had gotten a death sentence to be carried out immediately, but I had no freakin' clue what was scaring her and making her cry. "What the hell is wrong?" I demanded. Oh God…this was driving me crazy! I wanted to help her and comfort her, but I wasn't sure what to do.

"Be extra…c-careful tonight…k-k-keep your… eyes sharp… on the road…"Misty replied softly as she cried and hid her face as the tears poured. I stared at her for a few minutes trying to figure out what that meant, but I swore to myself I was going to be alert and vigilant on the road, then started the car and started driving her back to her apartment. The dark shadow figure kept clawing at my mind harder and harder. It hurt me to see her crying and that I couldn't do anything about it but offer slight comfort as I drove, which only drove me crazier. I reached my hand over and squeezed hers. She squeezed back and then the next thing I knew, she had unbuckled her seatbelt and then dove in front me when a car had SLAMMED into Misty's side of the car in what felt like slow motion with LOUD crunches- the fiberglass body of the car, the glass, and bones snapping. I slammed on the brake and the airbag deployed, but Misty was in the way, blocking it from hitting me, and to which more bones snapped. I turned off the ignition and put the hazard lights on and then finally looked at the damage that had been caused. The whole passenger side of my car was destroyed and smashed in so badly, glass pieces and shards were EVERYWHERE, and the worst part…Misty was completely smashed up on her right side. Her ribs were broken, and parts of her bones in her lower arm and her hip and upper leg were poking through her skin and her clothes, there was a shard of glass in her chest and her face, oh…her face…her nose was broken and there were pieces of glass in her face. I hyperventilated in horror, and my heart felt like it was torn from my chest. OH NO!

"MISTY!" I screamed and held her broken body close. I could still hear a pulse! Oh! Thank God! She was still alive! "MISTY! MISTY! PLEASE! STAY WITH ME! DON'T DIE ON ME! HANG ON!" I yelled at her frantically, desperate for her to live. She couldn't die on me! I was crying for fear I'd lose her. I saw red and blue lights spinning and surrounding me and I heard voices outside. There were firefighters at my door and they yanked it open and cut my seatbelt.

"PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO HELP MY GIRLFRIEND!" I begged frantically.

"Oh hell," the firefighter exclaimed as he saw her. He and another one who reacted the same way gingerly started moving her across my body and out of the car. I watched them put her on a gurney and gingerly strap her in so as not to upset her body anymore. They then put her in the back of one ambulance and I also saw paramedics tending to an injured man in the back of the other ambulance. The firefighters then helped me out of the car, and I climbed into the ambulance with Misty and held her left hand.

"Please, Please, Please don't die on me Misty…" I begged her over and over. A couple of police officers came to me.

"Mr. Kaiba? We have a few questions for you…" One officer asked. I turned and glared, not letting her go.

"ASK LATER! MY GIRLFRIEND IS DYING BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD OVER THERE! GET THIS AMBULANCE MOVING!" I commanded furiously and squeezed her hand harder and continued begging her to live. The paramedics got into the ambulance and started working hooking up to her oxygen and then started driving to the hospital. Damn slow, idiotic bastards!

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm not letting you go," I told her softly. I hoped she could hear me. "Please hang on for me…I'm so sorry…I should have listened to you…" I told her. Oh God…it was my fault…I should have listened to the nagging clawing and her hesitation…I broke my promise to her…I promised she'd be safe and here she was, dying. I couldn't believe she also dove in front of me just before the impact, like she was protecting me…Oh God…my heart hurt even more…she threw herself in front of me to protect me…tears stung my eyes at her selfless gesture…I shakily kissed her hand and squeezed it harder.

"I'll do anything to make it up to you…" I whispered to her. "Just please stay with me." I sandwiched her hand between mine and bowed my head crying.

"_Please, God, if you're up there…Please! Please don't take Misty away from me and Mokuba! We need her! I love her so much! Please!" I prayed frantically, hoping God was listening. _We got to the hospital and the paramedics unloaded the gurney and I got out, still squeezing her hand hard, like during the appendectomy. I was scared that if I let her go, I'd lose her.

"Mr. Kaiba, please let go so we can get her into surgery," one of the paramedics commanded. I glared at him with my watery eyes.

"I AM NOT LETTING GO OF HER HAND!" I snarled viciously and gripped tighter. The paramedics sighed and then started running the gurney into the hospital as I ran alongside it into the operating room.

"I'm not letting you go Misty," I told her. The surgeon offered me a face mask, cap, and a smock, and I put them on without letting go of her hand. I looked at her body on the operating table and watched as the surgeons gingerly removed the glass shard from her chest, staining her dress and blouse with her blood. They then cut her dress down the middle, and cut the sleeves of her blouse, pulling the clothes away from the protruding bones. She was now naked on the table. She was covered in blood, and the bones were grotesquely protruding through her skin, but despite all that, her body was beautiful and so soft looking. The doctors hooked her up to machines, IVs, and blood, and though her heartbeat was steady, I was still scared to death of losing her. I kept begging her to live. I watched as the surgeons gingerly cut her skin and exposed the depth of the damage…oh God…I think I was going to be sick…the damage was BAD! She was going to take a long time to heal…I watched the doctors painstakingly put the bones back together and seal the bones with a sort of bone glue, and then fuse the tendons and ligaments together. They put the skin back together and ran a caulk like substance over the seam, and then stitched the skin together. Her whole right side made her look like a giant ragdoll. I then watched as they repaired the damage to her chest and then her face. They plucked the pieces of glass out of her face and I saw all the little cuts that were going to leave her face scarred. One piece of glass had hit at her eyebrow, barely missing her eye. I heard them pop her nose back into place and then set a sort of brace on it to help keep it supported. The next thing they did was to cast her right side. When they got to her hip, I noticed they were completely shaving her pubic hair off so as not to get any of the cast plaster in it, and I did look at her…lady parts a moment. I shouldn't have looked, but it was hard not to, particularly since it was a beautiful sight for me. They lifted her leg slightly and casted the top part of her thigh to secure the hip cast, and then they casted her leg. Once they had finished casting her body, they sighed with relief a moment. The doctor looked at me.

"She's going to be in SERIOUS pain for a few weeks. She is going to need all the help she can get in recovering. Keep her diet full of Iron, Protein, Calcium and Vitamin D to help rebuild her bones and tissue, but also balance it with other nutrients. She is going to have to be bound to bed for a while, and then graduate to a wheelchair. Do NOT let her strain herself, or really move for a while. She will need to be sponge bathed and will have to use a bedpan. Keep her leg elevated, and use this scar cream for her face and her body when the casts come off. We will give her a steady supply of morphine to help ease her pain. If she's healing well, she can start going to physical therapy then. Just make her as comfortable as possible. We will see her back in 3 weeks to measure her progress. She's lucky to be alive." I listened carefully to the doctor's instructions. Oh, I was going to do EVERYTHING in my power to ensure she was WELL taken care of. I sighed…I was going to have to push back Battle City a bit. It was coming up way too soon for Mokuba, me, and especially Misty to be ready to walk around dueling, and Mokuba and I were going to have to do everything ourselves again. This changed all my plans around, but I was so glad she was still here. Just then, her heart rate started falling and her breathing started to get shallow.

"Nurse! Get the defibrillator going!" The doctor commanded. What was going on? Was she at the brink of death?

"Please Misty…YOU CAN'T DIE ON ME! I-I need you!" I begged frantically. "MISTY! I-I-I LOVE YOU!" I was drowned out by all the doctors yelling orders. I squeezed her hand even tighter. I heard her starting to suddenly flat line, and the doctor forced my hand away and the nurse handed a doctor the defibrillator paddles.

"CLEAR!" the doctor commanded and then put the paddles on her body and pressed the button and made her body jump a little on the table, and her pulse jump a bit, but it was flatlining again. The doctor put the paddles on her body again and made her body jump again. I was screaming and yelling hysterically as I was watching. The doctor defibrillated her 4 times.

"Time of Death…" I screamed when he said that and he looked at his watch for the time.

"NOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO!" I screamed and then her pulse started beeping on the machine again. I gasped for breath with relief and then blacked out.


	7. Alive and Under Repair

~Back to My POV~

I shook nervously as I stood before St. Peter…this was it, this was the moment that determined my fate…I saw him look at me surprised. That was strange…I couldn't believe St. Peter was surprised to see ME.

"Misty Rain Robinson…you shouldn't be up here! You're WAY too early!"

"I'm…way…too early?" I echoed in disbelief.

"Yes!" St. Peter exclaimed and rubbed his temple. "This is some mistake; you have a LONG time and a LOT to do before your appointed time here." I couldn't resist…

"Wh-when is that…exactly?" St. Peter gave me a hard look.

"You know it's against the rules for me to tell you that…" he retorted annoyed.

"Sorry…I couldn't resist, and it is a bit of a shock to me that I was waiting all this time in line after a horrible accident only to find out I shouldn't be here," I retorted pointedly. St. Peter chuckled amusedly.

"What's so funny?" I asked irritably and folded my arms across my chest.

"God told me about your sharp but very lovable wit. No wonder those Kaiba brothers love you so much." I felt myself skitter involuntarily at hearing about Seto and Mokuba. St. Peter smiled a little. "And by the looks of it, you love them too." I nodded in agreement. Yes…I loved them…and I felt tingly when I admitted it to myself. St. Peter smiled wider.

"Most excellent because they need you and your work is with them, particularly with Seto. Everything is moving forward nicely, so it definitely doesn't make any sense to keep you here any longer than necessary. Get back to Earth and back to your work with them. And don't try anything to get out of your work with them because you will be drawn back to them like a magnet," St. Peter declared and pulled another rope to which this time the clouds swirled into a blue and purple vortex dotted with stars.

"Wait! What kind of work….Aaaaaaaahhhh!" I began and yelled as the angels pushed me into the vortex and I fell at rocket speed screaming back to my body. I felt an electric jolt and my senses hit me all at once like getting hit by a truck. Ow… I could hear my monitor start beeping steadily and I could feel someone still holding my hand and then is gently removed.

"Get him on a bed," I heard someone say before I fell asleep. I was so tired.

I woke up at like about noon and squinted at the light. I felt like hell, and I was sure I looked it too. I felt so heavy and stiff and I couldn't move. I groaned as my senses started to gain clarity. I noticed all the flowers and gifts on the tables. Whoa…where did all these come from?

"_Aww…they're get well gifts…" my inner self told me._ Oh…that made sense. I was surprised I got this many though, but I smiled at being in these people's thoughts all the same. I looked to my side and saw Mokuba sleeping on the couch and Seto in a small hospital bed beside me still wearing that casual outfit from yesterday. He didn't look so good…his clothes were a bit torn, there were a few cuts and scrapes, and he was a bit dirty and looking totally stressed out, like all the years he'd been working so hard came crashing in on him all at once in the span of 13 hours, but at least he looked slightly at peace at the moment.

I felt my stomach grumbling, I had to go to the bathroom, and I was starting to feel pain. I shakily grabbed the remote and pressed the nurse button. About a minute later a nurse walked in.

"Hello Ms. Robinson. Glad to see you awake," the nurse said softly with a small smile. I smiled back just slightly. "What do you need?"

"I'm hungry…n-need to…use restroom…p-p-pain…" I spoke with a groan and hissed in pain. The nurse injected my IV with some morphine and then got a bed pan for me and had me lift my hips and placed it under me. This was so embarrassing…what if Seto and Mokuba woke up while I was peeing in the bedpan? But…I couldn't hold it…I used the bedpan, cringing at the sound of liquid hitting metal, hoping they wouldn't wake up. Thankfully, they hadn't. The nurse took the bedpan away and carried it into the bathroom and dumped it into the toilet and flushed it and rinsed it out and put it away and washed her hands. She went into the hall for a few minutes and then brought in some food and situated my bedside table in front of me and put the food in front of me.

"I hope the food is to your liking, Ms. Robinson," she told me with a polite smile. "Just press the button if you need anything else." She looked around my room a moment ensuring I had everything I needed before leaving. I felt weird having to use my left hand to unwrap my cutlery pack and eat entirely using my left hand. There were times I felt like I was going to drop the stuff I felt so shaky. This was going to be hell; I couldn't do anything anymore, at least not for a long time…

It took me a long time to finish my food, and it stopped the snarling in my stomach, but I felt so useless right now, and I had no idea what I was going to do…How was I going to get home? What was I going to do about school? How was I going to survive this? I was sure Seto and Mokuba would help me, and so would my girlfriends, but I was afraid I'd be nothing but a burden to them. I had no choice but to ask for their help, because without it I would die. I sighed heavily in despair and despondence and the tears started to pool in my eyes and run down my cheeks and I couldn't help crying. This had to be some cruel joke...

"Misty?" I heard Mokuba say groggily, and was then echoed by Seto. I bowed my head not wanting to let them see my tears. They were standing at the side of my bed in seconds and both of them gingerly hugged me like was the most fragile porcelain doll.

"I'm so happy you're alive!" They both told me and started crying with relief as they hugged me. It was an extremely emotional moment as the three of us cried together and they held me in their embrace.

"I was so scared I lost you," Seto whispered. I felt a squeeze on my heart.

"When you and Seto didn't come home for almost 2 hours without any word, and…they said there was a severe accident and there…was Seto's car on the news, I-I…was so afraid I lost both of you…" Mokuba stammered and buried his head in my good shoulder.

"I don't know what we would have done if we lost you…" Seto chimed in. I felt my heart surge, and they let me go a moment and I only felt a little bit better. I kept crying only because of the thought of being such a burden to them.

"Please, Misty, tell us, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked worried.

"I feel so loved with how scared y'all were…b-b-but…I feel…so useless…and like such a burden…now…" I stammered.

"You're not a burden," Mokuba assured me.

"No, you're not a burden. Don't ever think that way again," Seto scolded me gently.

"Then what am I?" I countered.

"Alive and under repair," Seto answered firmly. "We're going to make sure you heal properly and are back to being the normal you."

"But won't you get tired of coming back and forth to take care of me?"

"No because we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're alright," Mokuba promised.

"And you're going to be living with us so we can ensure you're being properly cared for," Seto announced. I honestly felt relieved at Seto's announcement.

"_See? You don't have to worry," my inner self pointed out. _

"I can't believe you would imagine yourself to be a burden," Seto scoffed.

"I've…j-just…gotten used to being…independent, and it's…h-hard asking for help…In my experience, if I asked for help…, I'd get it, but then I felt…a sense of obligation of return…and sometimes…I felt as if the person helping me…r-resented it a little…even if I tried…to repay the favor…" I said tearfully. They hugged me again and Seto wiped my tears away and kissed me gently then made me look into his eyes.

"You. Are. Not. A. Burden." Seto declared.

"Yeah Misty, we'd be happy to take care of you and make you feel better. We love you," Mokuba chimed in. I felt my heart soar a little.

"Mokuba's right. We do love you," Seto agreed.

"I love y'all too," I replied and they hugged me happily.

"Thank you," Seto whispered in my ear. I looked at him puzzled.

"For?" I asked confused.

"Being so selfless…and for loving us." I cocked my head to the side wondering what he was talking about.

"You saved me twice already, and you're the only one to truly love us in the longest time. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for me," he clarified. I smiled a little bit.

"You're welcome. It was my first instinct to save you." Seto smiled and kissed me softly and Mokuba smiled a bit as he watched. There was a quiet lull for a moment and there was something I needed to know.

"How…bad am I?" I asked and braced myself.

"You have a broken arm, broken ribs, broken hip, broken leg, facial and neck scars, and you were stabbed in the chest with a shard of glass," Seto explained hesitantly.

"God Almighty…" I remarked astonished.

"It's really a miracle you're alive."

"St. Peter…sent me back…"I replied.

"He did?" Seto and Mokuba asked astonished.

"Yes…he said…I still have work to do…with y'all. He never said…what kind of work though…" I replied.

"Whatever it is, I'm glad he sent you back to us. I guess we're stuck with you," Seto smiled and attempted to joke. I smiled back.

"Like glue," I agreed and chuckled a little but felt pain. "Owww…"I groaned.

"Don't laugh. I don't want you to hurt yourself," Seto instructed worriedly.

"That sucks…I can't even laugh…" I groaned and pouted a little. Their smiles faded a little. I sighed a little and another lull appeared.

"I guess I have to drop out of school for now…" I sighed.

"You can always go back in the next session and make it up," Seto reassured me.

"I'm sure your teachers would understand," Mokuba chimed.

"Yeah…" I agreed. I felt bad about dropping my classes for now. They squeezed my hands gently.

"I'll make this up to you," Seto promised. I looked at him curiously.

"How?"

"I'll sue the bastard other driver for putting you in here. I will make him pay DEARLY for almost taking you away from us." I smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Seto replied and kissed my forehead. We continued to chat for a couple hours until my morphine wore off and I cried out in pain again.

"Misty!" Mokuba and Seto exclaimed worriedly.

"Mokuba! Call the nurse!" Seto commanded. Mokuba grabbed my remote and pressed the nurse button. Immediately the nurse came in and looked at me and then injected more morphine into my IV and stayed a moment to keep an eye on me and then left once I started to calm down. Once I was calm, Seto and Mokuba relaxed too. I felt drowsy and everything was getting blurry before I fell asleep again.

I woke up a few hours later and when I regained clarity, I noticed Seto and Mokuba weren't here, but my girlfriends were.

"Oh! She's awake!" Evelyn announced to Isabel and Allison. They all came closer.

"Oh Misty…you poor thing…" Isabel said as she looked me over.

"We heard on the news earlier today…we were terrified you had died," Allison told me.

"So were… Seto… and Mokuba," I told them groggily.

"We're just glad you're still here," Allison replied and the girls nodded in agreement.

"Thanks girls... I'm glad y'all… came to visit…" I smiled tiredly.

"We'll help you get caught up on school if necessary," Isabel offered.

"Thanks…but…I-I…think…I might have…to drop my classes…for now…" I told them with a bit of a sad smile.

"Understandable," Evelyn agreed and the other two nodded in agreement.

"We brought you a get well gift," Allison announced and the three of them smiled. I mirrored their smile.

"Thank you…girls," I replied and moved my bed so I could sit up better. "Could…y'all help…open it?"

"Sure," Evelyn agreed and they opened the gift for me, which was a very luxurious spa package with bath gel, lotion, body spray, a bath poof, scar cream, and a plush robe. I smiled wider.

"Thanks girls, this will come in handy," I told them. They beamed proudly and started chatting with me just as normally as if we were coming out of class together. I told them about how Seto and I had fun shopping and how much fun we had hanging out at the mansion before the accident.

"I can't believe he agreed to let you take him shopping for casual clothes. He never seemed the type to wear them," Allison remarked.

"Well, she's a powerful influence on him," Evelyn told Allison.

"Yeah, she is," Isabel agreed.

"He and Mokuba… said they both love me," I piped up.

"Awww! How sweet!" They cooed. I smiled, wishing I could chuckle.

"I love them too," I added. They smiled wider.

"Awww! Our little Misty is totally head over heels in love!" They teased. I gave a slight chuckle, being careful so it didn't hurt me.

"Yeah, I am…St. Peter…told me I belonged…with them…and that if I was separated from them, I'd return to them like a magnet…because I have work to do with them." I told them. They looked at me surprised.

"St. Peter? As in St. Peter, the guard at the gate of Heaven?" Isabel asked.

"That's him."

"He told you that?" Evelyn asked.

"Yep. I waited in line for a long… while and he sent me back… to earth with those… exact words," I answered.

"Did he say what kind of work?" Allison asked.

"No, but he said…everything…was moving along…nicely, and that it was good we loved each other. I can't abandon my work with him, because…I'll end up returning to him…no matter what."

"What's it like up there?" Evelyn asked.

"It's so beautiful up there…it's the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. I was walking on clouds, and there were every jewel colors, pinks, pearls, and golds. There were two vortexes that St. Peter summoned- one for a return to Earth, and the other for hell. I was the only one in my wait up there to be returned to Earth. The Hell vortex was scary. Those who got into Heaven, there was a bright light as they entered. And there are GORGEOUS angels up there as escorts and security in line," I described. "Oh, and while I was in line, I was still connected to my body, and I felt aches on my side, but it was just aches, and I could hear Seto talking to me, begging me not to die."

"Wow…" the three of them remarked.

"Yeah."

"So does that mean you might marry Seto?" Evelyn asked.

"Maybe… I hope so. I feel… right being with him…and Mokuba already…called me his…sister."

"It sounds like a definite possibility," Allison replied with a smile.

"Lucky," Isabel remarked.

"Lucky?" I asked.

"You found your soul mate already and there's a high chance you'll marry him and be happy, forever." Isabel explained. I smiled.

"It's exciting," I agreed.

"Sorry ladies, but it's time for Ms. Robinson's sponge bath. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave," the nurse politely told them.

"Alright. Let us know if you need anything Misty," Evelyn called as they left.

"Will do." With that, my friends had left.

"Have a nice conversation?" the nurse asked cordially.

"Yeah," I replied as the nurse got a fresh gown, towel, and the cart with the materials and supplies for my sponge bath. "Nurse? Could you use this bath gel and such that my friends gave me?"

"Sure," the nurse replied with a smile and took off my gown and started lathering up the sponge with the bath gel and then started cleaning up my body. I patiently let her, and then something struck me.

"Nurse? What am I going to do about cleaning myself up when I'm released?" I asked.

"I suppose Mr. Kaiba will have to help you," she replied.

"Oh great…" I remarked.

"What's wrong?" the nurse asked concerned.

"I'm…not ready to let him…see me…naked," I stammered embarrassed. The nurse pursed her lips.

"Well sweetheart, that's something you have to talk to him about," the nurse replied and then rinsed me.

"Could you spritz some of that body spray on me?"

"Sure," the nurse replied and spritzed some of the body spray and then lightly toweled me before putting a fresh gown on me.

"Thank you," I said. She gave me a polite smile.

"You're welcome dearie; I'll come in and bring you some dinner." The nurse rolled the cart out of the way and then went into the hall and brought me my dinner before leaving. I turned on the TV and watched it while I ate my dinner with my left hand. This was not going to be easy to get used to. I had just finished my dinner and was watching TV when Seto and Mokuba returned.

"Hey Misty!" Mokuba greeted with his big smile.

"Hey bud," I greeted back with a smile.

"Hi," Seto piped up.

"Hi," I echoed.

"Guess what Misty!" Mokuba began excitedly. He was so adorable when he was excited.

"What?" I asked.

"You're all moved into the mansion now!" Mokuba told me excitedly. I smiled broadly.

"That's good."

"Yeah! It's going to be awesome having you live with us!" Mokuba hugged me on my good side.

"Easy Mokuba," Seto told him, watching us carefully. Reluctantly, Mokuba eased up. "And I know it's going to be great having her live with us, but she can't do a whole lot; she needs to heal," Seto told him.

"Alright Seto," Mokuba replied slightly downcast, but he seemed to perk up at the thought of me living there. "But at least we get to spend more time with you Misty!"

"Right," I agreed with a smile and ruffled his hair with my left hand making him chuckle. They pulled up a chair and sat next to my bed.

"So, did you get to open your gifts and cards yet?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Well, one, from my girlfriends, but I haven't been able to reach over there, silly," I told him with an affectionate smile. Mokuba chuckled a little.

"Right," he replied and then moved my empty plate and glass to another table and started putting my gifts and cards on my bedside table.

"Who sent these?" I asked.

"Roland, Edward, some of the servants, and I think some of your teachers and classmates," Seto replied.

"Awww! That was so nice of them!" I said with a smile. "Mokuba, could you help me open these?"

"Yeah!" Mokuba responded eagerly and helped me open the gifts and cards. I smiled at his enthusiasm and read the cards and smiled appreciatively at the gifts. I wanted to laugh at some of the cards, but I forced myself not to because I was worried it would upset my ribs. Seto and Mokuba squeezed my hands in understanding knowing I wanted to laugh but was holding back.

"You smell nice," Seto remarked.

"Thanks, the girls gave me this stuff," I replied and showed him the stuff the girls gave me.

"It's nice, and useful," he remarked with a smile.

"Yeah," I agreed. The three of us chatted for a while until Mokuba had fallen asleep in his chair next to me on my left side. I smiled at him, and then turned to Seto.

"Seto," I whispered.

"Yes Misty?" he whispered back.

"Um…I have a…awkward question…" I began nervously.

"What is it?"

"Um…the nurse gave me a sponge bath today…and I asked how I would…clean myself up…and…she told me…y-you'd…need to…h-help me…" I stammered and suddenly couldn't look him in the eye.

"And you wanted me to help you?" I could sense a light undertone of excitement in his voice.

"_Perv…" I thought. _

"_Well, he IS a guy…and your boyfriend…and you know he's turned on by you," my inner self replied. _

"_Still…" I thought uneasily._

"Actually…um…I'm not exactly ready to let you see me yet…and I know you'd be really busy with work…" I replied.

"Oh…" I could sense a little bit of disappointment. "Well, I can get you a nurse to help with that then," he added and then seemed to hesitate a little bit. I looked up at him to see why he was suddenly hesitant. He took a deep breath and his hand went to the back of his neck.

"Um…I know you don't feel comfortable letting me see your body yet, but…I…saw you…"he admitted. My eyes widened alarmed. How could he? I wasn't ready to let him see me yet! I was freaking out a little and my left arm automatically pulled the blanket up to my neck, trying to hide myself. I was really self-conscious, especially now with how my body was so busted up right now. I looked away from him embarrassed.

"I saw you…in the operating room…when the doctors and surgeons were fixing your body up…I was holding your hand because I was so…afraid…I'd lose you if I let go of your hand. I never let go since we were in the ambulance…I'm…sorry…" he explained. I remained quiet and kept my head down. He came closer so his breath tickled my ear, but right now I didn't feel comfortable. "You looked beautiful to me…even with the damage…" he whispered and then kissed me. I pulled away in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Seto asked me surprised.

"I look horrendous…" I replied glumly.

"No you don't," Seto answered. I still didn't believe him. He sighed. "Let me put it in an analogy for you. You know how beautiful my Ferrari was before the accident, right?" I looked at him curiously and nodded. "And you know how it's all smashed up on one side, right?" I nodded again, wondering what he was getting at. "Well, you're like the Ferrari. I'm going to get it fixed up and look as good as new, and that's what's going on with you right now. I'm going to help you get fixed up so you're as good as new," Seto explained. I smiled a half-smile understanding his analogy. "My Ferrari, like you, had a beautiful body before the accident, and after some repairs, it, like you, will be as good as new and will look just as good after all the repairs." I smiled a little more, but I still felt insecure.

"Why are you still insecure now?" he asked slightly exasperated.

"But…you had all these bimbos with sexier, skinnier, bods throwing themselves at you…" I protested. I didn't get what he found fascinating with MY body if there were sexier women offering themselves up.

"So?" he asked with a shrug. "What's your point?" I looked at him curiously.

"You never felt any lust towards them?" I asked.

"No," he replied simply.

"Really?" I found that hard to believe.

"I felt absolutely nothing towards them," he assured me and looked me square in the eye when he said it. "They did everything to show off as much as they possibly could of their bodies, but you could tell how fake they were. Their fakeness revolted me. You, however, are modest and completely all-natural. Your curves are so incredibly sexy, soft, and feminine. I told you yesterday how much guys wanted you? Well, I'm one of those guys. I want you, so bad…but, I won't act on it because I know you aren't ready for it yet, but I do want you to know you turn me on," he told me. I was astonished…he really admitted I turned him on that much? Wow.

"I love you," he whispered. My heart soared.

"I love you too," I whispered back and he smiled and kissed me.

"I've got something for you," he whispered. I looked at him curiously and saw him produce a small box. I watched him open the box and I saw a gorgeous locket.

"It's so beautiful!" I whispered and grinned. He opened it and I saw a picture of Seto and Mokuba when they were children and a picture of them now with smiles on their faces. He smiled at my reaction and then I moved my hair and turned so he could put it on. I felt a current with his hand at my neck and he kissed my forehead and then my lips. I fingered the locket, smiling.

"That was our mother's…I put the picture of Mokuba when he was a kid in there after she died, and of course, I put a picture of me and Mokuba presently so you could have us close to your heart. You deserve it," he explained and I felt a few tears spring to my eyes at his explanation.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm…just so…touched…and honored…that you found me…worthy…of wearing your mama's locket…"I replied.

"Take good care of it," he whispered and smiled.

"I'll never take it off," I promised and kissed him and smiled when he kissed back.

"_Awww! He's soooo serious about you! It's just shy of giving you an engagement ring, which I'm sure he will give you soon," my inner self exclaimed happily. "I knew I can hear wedding bells soon!"_ We stopped kissing when I gasped and cried out in pain as my morphine seemed to wear off again. Seto pressed the nurse button while my face contorted in pain. The nurse came in and changed the IV and then injected morphine. I waited a couple agonizing moments before the morphine kicked in and I felt pretty numb…except I had to use the bedpan again.

"Um…nurse? I…have to use the bedpan again…" I requested. Seto moved Mokuba from the bed to the couch to which he stayed asleep, and then went into the hallway while I lifted my hips as best I could and felt relieved when I peed into the bedpan. The nurse did the same cleaning ritual as before and then sent Seto back in. I gave him a sleepy smile as he sat back down in the chair beside my bed on my right side and he squeezed my hand. I started getting drowsier and then fell asleep. I had some pretty happy dreams tonight about my future with Seto and Mokuba. I was enjoying the happy future sight when suddenly everything shattered and I was in so much pain and felt myself being crushed on my right side and all I could focus on was the pain. I awoke crying and saw Seto holding onto my right side in a fit, so I grabbed my remote and frantically pressed the nurse button. At least 3 nurses came running in and they pulled Seto off of me. I couldn't stop crying it hurt so much.

"Oh sweetheart…" the nurse said and then quickly injected my IV with more morphine, and I still couldn't stop crying even when it kicked in.

"M-Misty? What's going on?" Seto yelled as he woke up. "Misty! What's wrong? What happened?" Seto demanded. "Let me go!"

"You were hurting her in your sleep!" the nurse retorted angrily.

"I what?"

"Hm? What's…going on?" Mokuba asked sleepily.

"You had a fit and held onto her broken side!" the nurse yelled. All this yelling was just making it worse…

"He what?" Mokuba exclaimed and they both looked at me and saw me crying.

"Misty…I'm so sorry…" Seto apologized and truly looked sad, but I was still hurting a bit.

"Keep your hands off her!"

"Misty! I'm sorry!" Seto begged again ignoring the nurse. I took a few deep breaths feeling a little numb, but right now I wanted a chance to recover and assess my damage.

"Please…just get out…for a little…while…" I requested. He looked so sad, and I looked to Mokuba for help.

"Come on Seto, let's go," Mokuba said gently and started tugging his brother away with the nurses.

"Misty I'm sorry!" Seto exclaimed again as he was dragged out. I groaned a little bit and had the nurse check to see if anything was moved, through my casts, but nothing seemed out of place. I guess it was just the sudden force and weight of him that upset me.

"Are you feeling better sweetie?" the nurse asked gingerly.

"A…little…" I replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. Are you hungry? Need to use the bedpan?"

"Yes…to both…" I replied. She helped me use the bedpan, cleaned up, and then went to get my breakfast. I was starting to get the hang of eating with my left hand. I sat for a while watching TV, and then decided to read for a bit. I wondered what Seto and Mokuba were doing. I figured Mokuba would be in school and I figured Seto had taken the day off considering how upset he was. And I probably figured he was getting stuff ready for me to come over. I pondered over how this was going to work. What clothes would I wear? How would we get to my new home? What would I do? Would I be sitting in a wheelchair or be completely bedbound? I sighed morosely…this was going to suck BIG time, but I was extremely grateful Seto and Mokuba were going to take care of me nonetheless.

I watched TV and read boredly until the nurse came in for my sponge bath. I let her do her job and went back to watching TV and reading until I fell asleep and had my normal bizarre dreams. I felt someone squeeze my hand and kiss my forehead and I smiled and woke up and saw Seto.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Hi," he echoed with a slight smile. "I'm sorry," he whispered and presented me with a bouquet of roses.

"I know. That's enough. Stop apologizing," I commanded and caressed his cheek.

"You forgive me?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied and gave him a light kiss. "I love you."

"Thank you and I love you too," he replied with a light smile.

"He was so afraid he made your injuries worse," Mokuba chimed in.

"I was," Seto admitted. "I was haunted by the accident, and it freaked me out, and I ended up holding onto you."

"Well, it did hurt a little, but I think it was more from the suddenness of your weight. There was no further damage," I assured him. He gave me a relieved half-smile, but he still felt bad.

"I'm s-…" he began but I put a finger to his lips and cut him off.

"I said enough," I told him. I pulled my finger away. "So, what'd y'all do today? How was school Mokuba?"

"I didn't go to school today. I was helping Seto get everything finalized and ready for you to come home," Mokuba replied.

"We got you a motorized wheelchair and started installing things to make moving around easier, we finalized your move out with your apartment manager, got a change of address for you to get your mail at the mansion, and I hired a personal nurse to take care of you while I'm at work," Seto explained. I smiled.

"Thank you, Seto," I told him with a light kiss.

"We got you these too," Mokuba chimed in.

"They're beautiful, thank you," I said with a smile and hugged them lightly. I watched as they got a vase, filled it with water, and had the nurse bring some scissors so they could cut the stems. They added the flower food and then put the roses in the vase.

"Y'all would be very good florists," I teased lightly. Mokuba beamed and Seto smiled.

"Thanks Misty," Mokuba told me. I smiled at him.

"So, what'd you do today?" Seto asked as he and Mokuba sat in their bedside chairs.

"Nothing really, just watch TV and read until I got bored and fell asleep," I replied with a nonchalant shrug. I sighed. "I'm so glad I'll have the wheelchair to move around. I can't stay in bed all day doing nothing."

"Yeah," they agreed. Seto then looked thoughtful about something.

"What's on your mind Seto?" I asked curiously.

"I checked my emails and I had a proposal that was very intriguing," he announced and looked almost excited.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I got an email from a medical company that heard about the accident and such and proposed a sort of robotic aid to help support patients while they recover and build strength back up to injured limbs," he replied.

"And you want to try it out on me," I finished the thought for him.

"I was thinking about it," he admitted.

"I hope it can help you be back to normal sooner," Mokuba chimed in.

"Well, it's worth a shot. Anything to get me back to being back to normal," I replied. Seto and Mokuba smiled.

"Well, I'll approve it then," Seto replied. I smiled.

"You've come a long way from automatically rejecting the proposals," I observed.

"You've had quite an influence on me," he replied.

"Yep!" Mokuba agreed optimistically. We talked for a while and the nurse brought my dinner, and then Seto and Mokuba went out for a few minutes to get something from the cafeteria and then returned to my room to eat with me. It was nice to have company eat dinner with me. After dinner we chatted for a while until I felt a bit of pain. Mokuba paged the nurse and the nurse changed my IV bag and injected more morphine.

"You seem to be doing better on your morphine today," the nurse remarked impressed.

"Really?" I asked surprised. I barely noticed.

"She's strong!" Seto and Mokuba answered together and I couldn't help giggling and groaned a little. I forgot I wasn't allowed to laugh, chuckle, or giggle yet. Damn…

"Take it easy," Seto told me gently.

"Sorry, forgot," I replied and started to get tired again. I felt Mokuba kiss my cheek, and Seto kiss my forehead before I fell asleep again. I hoped Seto wouldn't cling to me again.

The next day, was a repeat of yesterday, except that I would be going home this afternoon. My nurse sponge bathed me and helped me get dressed in one of my dresses that Seto had brought for me to wear, and he had my motorized wheelchair brought in. He helped the nurse get me in the chair and he adjusted it so it would be comfortable for me. I tested the wheelchair out and it was nice to move around a little. The doctor came in a little while later.

"So Ms. Robinson, you look like you're doing better. Ready to go home?"

"Yes!" Seto, Mokuba, and I exclaimed in unison. The doctor chuckled a little.

"Well, you keep up the good work in recovery. I'll see you back in about 2-3 weeks and get those casts off and see how you're healing. I'll prescribe you a supply of painkillers to help you when the pain is immense. And I want you to get plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and whey protein in your diet," the doctor instructed as he wrote a prescription out and gave it to Seto. "See you in a couple weeks," the doctor bade and left.

"Yay!" Mokuba cheered excitedly. I smiled and ruffled his hair and then wheeled out of my room while Seto and Mokuba carried my things in a big gift bag. We went to the pharmacy and picked up my medication and then wheeled myself with them following to the lobby and out the door. Edward took my things from Seto and Mokuba and put them in the trunk, and then Edward and Seto gingerly picked me up out of my chair and set me up on the seat next before compacting down my wheelchair and putting it into the trunk. Seto and Mokuba got into the limo with me and I could tell they were both excited.

"So are you excited?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"I am. I can't wait to come to my new home," I replied with a smile. Both of them smiled eagerly. We chatted for a bit about random things and then we had arrived at the mansion. Seto and Mokuba got out first and opened the trunk and helped Edward get my wheelchair out, but didn't unfold it. Instead Edward carried it up the few steps and then set it up on the landing by the door. A few of the other servants got my stuff out of the back and then carried it inside, and then Seto and Edward helped get me out of the limo. Seto held me in his arms on my left side and carried me up the steps. I smiled a bit as a thought came into my head.

"What are you smiling about?" Seto asked curiously.

"I sorta feel like a bride right now," I replied and held back a giggle. I envied their chuckle, but I could tell the thought made them happy.

"You will be, someday soon," Seto promised me.

"Oh?" I asked my curiosity piqued. "And just how soon?" Seto and Mokuba smirked at me.

"We can't tell you," Mokuba answered with a conspirational Cheshire cat grin.

"It's a surprise, but it will be very soon," Seto added with a kiss.

"I'll hold you to that," I replied. "How about you carry me to my room?" I suggested.

"I could do that," Seto told me with a smile. Once we got on the landing by the door, he asked a servant to take my chair to my room as he carried me through the door and to the room I used when I was changing into and out of my gown on Saturday. I sighed glumly as I looked at the gown hanging in my new room.

"What's wrong Misty?" Mokuba asked concerned as Seto laid me on my bed.

"So much for wearing the gown," I replied despondently.

"Aw don't worry Misty, there will be another occasion you can wear it to," Mokuba assured me. I gave him a half-smile.

"True," I concurred and watched as Seto opened up my wheelchair and got it set back up for me. "Thank you," I told him with a smile. He smiled back.

"You're welcome."

"Would you mind helping me into it? I don't feel like just lying here…" I requested. He picked me up and gently put me in the chair and made it comfortable for me again.

"Just don't overexert yourself," he instructed.

"I won't. I just feel tired of lying around and doing nothing. I'll rest if I get tired," I assured him and squeezed his hand. "I feel so grateful and so special you two are going to take such good care of me."

"Of course we are!" Mokuba eagerly agreed. I smiled affectionately at him.

"I just wish…I could help y'all out…" I said.

"No, you're not going to worry about anything but getting better," Seto commanded. "And it's our pleasure," he added a bit more softly.

"Yeah!" Mokuba agreed.

"Alright. I just feel bad that you hired me to help y'all with your work, and now I can't really do anything."

"Don't worry about it. We can manage for a little while on our own," Seto reassured me.

"Okay," I replied and then took a commanding tone. "But you must promise me that y'all will not stress yourselves out."

"We promise," they agreed together and held up the scout's honor gesture.

"Good," I nodded satisfied.

"Well, we won't have to worry about Battle City planning for a while," Seto remarked.

"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled.

"It'll be one less thing to stress us out. Battle City was supposed to start in 3 weeks, but we can push it back a couple weeks," Seto answered.

"Why?"

"Well, so you can heal a little and participate, of course," Seto responded with a look that said the answer was supposed to be obvious. "And it gives me more time to prepare and finalize everything, and gives everyone else more time to practice," he added.

"Alright, if you say so, so be it," I responded with a shrug. I suddenly felt a bit of a shudder that made me cry out with pain because it was one of those chilling premonition shudders that wracked through my body, particularly through the broken parts of my body.

"Misty!" They exclaimed worriedly and Mokuba rushed to get my painkillers and Seto was hurriedly getting me some water. Mokuba and Seto returned with the meds and the water and I gulped both down wincing while I waited for them to take effect.

"Misty! What happened?" They both asked their eyes wide with concern and worry.

"I…had a chilling…premonition…shudder…" I answered as the meds had JUST started to kick in.

"A what?"

"Do you remember Saturday night when I started to act strange?" I saw Seto and Mokuba flinch. "And when I told you that I had a feeling something bad was going to happen?" I saw them stiffen up nervously.

"Yeah?" they asked cautiously. I could tell they didn't like this implication or the reminder of Saturday.

"Well, after we talked about Battle City just now, I had that same sense I had on Saturday that something bad is about to happen…" I explained and there was an ominous feeling in the room.

"S-something bad…is g-going…to happen?" Mokuba asked nervously. "As…bad as…S-Saturday…n-n-night?" I sighed heavily…

"Maybe," I replied somewhat honestly, however I was still hoping that shudder was wrong. I could tell Seto had gotten cold with his nervousness. He squeezed my left hand, but his hand was shaking a little. I squeezed Seto's hand back hoping to reassure him.

"No…" Mokuba remarked shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to alarm y'all, but the shudder was strong and with my body being so sensitive right now, it hurt, and y'all asked what was wrong, and I can't lie to y'all…" I apologized. "But, we'll worry about that later, once we get closer to it. I'll just warn y'all now, be on your guard and stay close by to me." I warned.

"Oh you aren't going to leave our sight for a minute," Seto promised me. He squeezed my hand harder. I could almost hear the cogs turning in his head- he was in overprotective mode and was likely devising ways to keep me as guarded as the Pope.

"Look at me guys," I commanded. Their eyes met mine and I stared into both pairs of eyes. "Worry about THAT later, once we're closer to it. Nothing I know of is going to happen until at least around then, so relax. Let's just enjoy each other's company," I added reassuringly. They seemed to relax a little bit more.

"You're right. There's no need to get worked up over it right now," Seto concurred and Mokuba nodded in agreement too. "We have plenty of time later to worry about that," he added almost hypnotized.

"Come here," I commanded and pulled at Seto's shirt with my left hand to where he was down at my level and kissed him so he'd forget about Battle City a bit more. He eagerly kissed back until I let him go.

"That help?" I asked with a smile.

"I hope it did," Mokuba said with a smirk.

"Yeah…" Seto replied with a smile.

"Good," I responded with a satisfied smile. I wheeled around the downstairs with them and talked with them for a while and Seto impressed me by whipping up something really nice and hearty for dinner. I smiled appreciatively and started eating with my left hand. I was starting to get better with it and Seto and Mokuba were watching me impressed.

"What? I can only use my left hand," I told them as they watched.

"It's just impressive how skilled you're getting with your left hand," Seto pointed out.

"Thanks, I guess," I replied nonchalantly. Seto cleared the dishes away and I gave him a smile. "Thank you, it was delicious," I complimented him. He smiled.

"You're welcome," he replied and kissed my hand debonairly. I blushed a little and then wheeled back to my room to talk to my parents on the phone. I cringed when they were frantically asking me what happened in the accident. Oh right…I forgot about the stupid tabloids. They went on and on about how scared they were at the extent of my injuries, and of course how glad they were upon knowing I was okay. Here's where it got interesting…they insisted on coming over to Japan to come get me and take me home so they could care for me.

"No, I'm fine. My boyfriend Seto and his brother Mokuba moved me into the mansion so they can care for me and nurse me back to health, so it's really not necessary for y'all to spend that much money and come over here," I told them. I heard how they didn't like the idea and were starting to insist again on coming to get me, but I wasn't going to let them.

"No! Just stay there! I'll be over there next month for the big birthday stuff, during Spring Break. I trust Seto and Mokuba will take excellent care of me and they'll give me everything I need. This is the best way for me. I know you're concerned about me, but I'm in the best hands possible," I told them. They didn't seem convinced.

"I'M IN THE BEST AND MOST CAPABLE HANDS RIGHT NOW! Besides, they don't want me to leave and neither do I!" I retorted and hung up the phone with force. I felt a presence in my room.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"I heard you talking and I came to check out what was going on. I heard what you were saying," Seto answered and he was suddenly beside me.

"Nosy eavesdropper," I teased playfully with a smirk. I noticed he gave me a smirk back. He then got me out of my chair and laid me on the bed and then lay next to me.

"I'm honored you have such high trust in me and Mokuba to take such good care of you to stand up to your family for us," he told me with a bit of a smile.

"Well, it's the truth," I responded and caressed his face. He closed his eyes in pleasure. He came closer and kissed me softly and ran his fingers through my hair. He kissed my face all over, especially on my scars.

"What'd your family say when you told them about me for the first time?" Seto asked as he pulled away. His sapphire eyes were intensely focused on mine. I couldn't blame him for being curious about their opinion.

"They're acting like worrywarts. Mom's worried you're dating me for sex since you're my boss and I'm just your assistant, and she's nervous that I'm after you for your money, which I seriously AM NOT, just so you know," I replied. Seto scoffed.

"But of course, that's not true. I love you for you, I did tell you how you turn me on but you aren't ready so I'm not going to mess with the sex subject with you until you are, and I figured you didn't care about my money with the way you act around us and the way you bit my head off on Saturday about the gown," Seto replied with a bit of an amused smirk at the end. I couldn't help but give a half smile at the memory. "So, what'd your dad and your brother say?"

"My dad gave the ever-annoying "no dating until you're 30" crap, and he and my brother are eager to interrogate and intimidate you," I answered.

"What'd you tell them?"

"That I care about y'all and y'all care about me, and they should be nice to y'all because y'all make me happy," I answered. He smiled and kissed me tenderly.

"Are they always that suspicious?" he asked once he pulled away.

"Oh yeah…" I replied heavily.

"I'm surprised they didn't react to me being rich," he replied. I gave him a look.

"Should you be surprised? They did raise me so I was blind to wealth in relationships," I retorted. He thought about it a moment and I guess he decided I was right. "They raised me to focus on forming a relationship with someone based on character merit, respect, and trust. As long as you treat me right there will be no problem."

"It just still feels so alien to me to have someone want me and Mokuba for us and not the money attached to us," Seto replied.

"Believe it or not, love is stronger than and blind to money," I told him seriously and smiled a bit. "Can't buy me loooooovvvveeee, love," I sang. Seto chuckled and sighed.

"You're too good to be true. I can't figure out what I did to deserve you. It would break our hearts if we lost you. When you were flatlining in the O.R. and the doctor was about to pronounce your time of death, I went crazy. I blacked out when your heart started beating again. I don't think we can handle you dying on us," he told me and held me close as gingerly as possible.

"I love you," I whispered to him. He smiled happily.

"I love you too," he whispered back. I felt my heart leap, and I also felt tired. I gave him a sleepy smile and he kissed my forehead.

"I'll let you rest," he whispered and was about to pull away from me.

"Stay with me at least until I fall asleep. I like being in your arms," I softly requested. He smiled.

"Alright," he consented. I smiled and gazed at him until I fell asleep. This was the happiest I felt in a long time…just being in Seto's arms and to have him so close felt so right. I was really going to enjoy my divine assignment, whatever it was, as long as it kept me here with him and Mokuba.

~Seto's POV~

_I saw the shadow figure again; he had a smug air about him. _

"_I'm waiting," he replied with his arms crossed over that hideous black robe of his. _

"_For?" I asked with an eyebrow raised._

"_You to tell me I was right about her," he replied. _

"_Right about what?" I demanded crabbily; I really hated him… I wished he'd leave me the hell alone…_

"_Well, is it really worth staying with a cursed woman like her? She's already died once. Ready to go through it again, and again?" he asked smugly. He conjured an image of her collapsing again, her soul escaping but is forced back into her body again. I felt a tight squeeze every time I saw her fall, almost like someone was about to rip the heart from my chest, and then the grip was relaxed when her soul was returned and she rose again. Something kept rattling around in my head. He said this was the first time she'd "died". _

"_Yes, it is. I love her, she makes me and Mokuba happy, and she saved my life twice. As long as I have her, everything is perfect. She got sent back to us for a reason. And you said this was only the first time she's died and returned before. How is she cursed if this is the first time?" I asked. I could see myself turning into a huge giant that towered over him, ready to crush him like he was an ant. He looked up at me unfazed. _

"_You're the reason she's cursed like that. I warned you not to get involved with her like this because this was going to happen." What? It was MY fault she was cursed? I looked at him confused. _

"_Yes, you're the reason she's going to die like that and keep returning."_

"_How so?" _

"_Look at the demon that is following her…" I squinted and saw the demon that was following her. It had my name on its collar. It looked at me and I could see all my and Mokuba's bad memories in its eyes. He smirked at me and then continued to bother her. She kept trying to get up and protect me every time her soul was pushed back in and she rose up from her "death."_

"_That demon was responsible for your and Mokuba's hardships," the shadow figure explained._

"_So why is it torturing her now?"_

"_To hurt you and Mokuba." I growled._

"_HOW DO I GET RID OF IT?" I demanded. _

"_Seek The Light. The Light will banish all darkness and keep him away," the shadow figure explained. Oddly, as he said that, there was an eerie, bright glow that started to emanate off of Misty. "She has The Light. Absorb it from her."_

"_What Light?" I demanded frustrated. I was really tired of his riddles and games. I was even more frustrated as the dream faded away. _

"SETO!" Mokuba yelled and tightly hugged me burying his head into my chest. I blinked a bit in surprise as I started to wake up and gathered my sense of surroundings. Oh right, I was in the hospital…where was Misty? I looked over and there she was, busted up but peacefully asleep.

"I was so worried and scared you were dead!" Mokuba cried. "I got scared when you and Misty hadn't returned after a couple hours! I couldn't sleep! I went online and scoured the 'Net for information and I was so scared when I saw the tabloid story and the pictures! And then Roland came to get me!" Mokuba replied upset and stained my bloody torn shirt with his tears.

"I'm okay," I assured him and held him close.

"Wh-what about…M-Misty?" Mokuba asked upset.

"Well…she's really hurt…she almost…d-died…" I replied, barely able to say that hideous word. Mokuba seemed to cry harder. "But she's alive," I added to reassure him. He sniffled.

"What's…wrong…with her?"

"She was…trying to protect me…she has a busted up face, she was stabbed with glass, she has a broken arm, broken ribs, broken hip, and a broken leg." Mokuba looked over at her mangled yet peacefully asleep body for confirmation.

"What…happened?" Mokuba asked as he kept staring at her.

"A drunk driver hit her side. She had unbuckled her seatbelt and then threw herself in front of me and she…took the damage…" I answered and shuddered at the memory. Mokuba gave her a tearful, tight smile and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"What time is it?" I asked aloud. Mokuba picked up his phone. I was curious since I really had lost all track of time with the accident, her surgery, and blacking out when her heart monitor started beeping again.

"7:05 a.m.," he answered. So, it'd been about 8 hours since the accident. Such a long night…

"Well, since there's nothing going on right now, maybe we should get some rest," I suggested. Mokuba nodded, but kept his focus on Misty.

"Alright," he agreed. He then sank on the sofa with a heavy, tired sigh. He looked at us a moment, and then lied down and crashed. I smiled just slightly and then crawled back into the bed and went back to sleep knowing everything was okay right now. I was tossing and turning as I replayed the accident in my head over and over. I hated repeatedly watching her getting hurt and almost dying, and my heart wrenched every time she had; I thought I was going to have a heart attack as many times my heart wrenched. This had to stop… _I went looking for my inner self, surprised he'd been so quiet. Maybe he was upset too? I found him just sitting there looking sad._

"_There you are," I told him._

"_Hi…" he greeted. _

"_You alright?" I asked._

"_No…I just feel so bad…"_

"_You're telling me, but I know one thing that will help…" I began. _

"_Yeah? What?"_

"_Um…fantasizing," I replied sheepishly. He sighed and shook his head. _

"_Alright, fine," he agreed reluctantly. "Next time you fall asleep you'll be in one of your…fantasies," he replied and snapped his fingers._

"_Thank you," I replied with a sigh of relief and fell asleep and there was another fantasy starting. It was a little weird considering she was so hurt and how my inner self seemed so reluctant, but at least this was better than watching her get hurt over and over. _

_I dreamed I was wearing a male nurse's uniform in this room, and it was just her and me. She was sleeping peacefully and then opened her eyes, blinked as she started focusing on her surroundings and then gave me a sleepy smile. _

"_Hello Ms. Robinson," I greeted with a small smile. _

"_Hello, Nurse…Seto," she replied with a bit of a teasing, labored tone. I liked the way she said it. _

"_Rough sleep? You look very…sweaty," I observed with a slight smirk. I liked where this was going._

"_A little," Misty answered and her lips curved slightly to mirror my smirk; she knew where this was going._

"_Need to get cleaned up?" I asked and got a sponge bath cart and rolled it to her bedside. _

"_Yes," Misty simply answered. I took pleasure in her answer and could not wait to clean her up. Oh…I was starting to get hot…and hard...I took off her gown and ogled her injured but beautiful body. My eyes met her devious, fiery chocolate eyes, and I could see a naughty smirk in them. I got a washcloth lathered with a deliciously fragrant soap and started to rub it against every inch of her exposed skin, feeling hotter and harder as I worked and as she looked like she was enjoying it. I had finished cleaning her, but she didn't look like she wanted me to leave just yet._

"_Please… give me… the non-drowsy morphine," she requested. Obediently, I injected her IV with the morphine she wanted. She groaned a little as it kicked in and smirked at me again. _

"_Anything else I can do for you, Ms. Robinson?" I asked. _

"_Yes." She waved me closer as if she were whispering a secret. I obligingly bent forward to listen. "I know it's kind of… forbidden… for you… but I want you… so bad…" she whispered and gingerly moved her hand down my front. I groaned and the next thing I knew, my uniform was gone and I was claiming her and making her mine. This was Heaven. I felt so complete as I was taking her harder and harder and she was enjoying it, and also after I had released. She was all mine now. I lay next to her on her left side and stared into those fiery chocolate eyes and saw happiness reflecting back at me. I kissed her softly and gingerly stroked those long, silky, dark chocolate waves swirled in different positions on her pillow. I could stay here forever. _

The dream ended a little while later, which was a shame because it really helped. Man, I wished that fantasy about me giving her the sponge bath would come true…

I heard her sigh heavily in despair, and then I heard her crying. Why was she crying? Was she in pain?

"Misty?" I heard Mokuba say groggily, and I echoed and started to get up from the bed. Her head was bowed, and she was trying to not let me nor Mokuba see her crying. I hated seeing her cry. Both of us were standing at her bedside in seconds and we gingerly hugged her like she was made of glass; we didn't want to upset her busted limbs any more than they already were.

"I'm so happy you're alive!" Mokuba and I exclaimed and started crying with relief as we hugged her. It was an extremely emotional moment as the three of us cried together and we held her in our embrace. We didn't care if anybody saw us being so emotional right now; we had almost lost the woman we loved most.

"I was so scared I lost you," I whispered. God…I would have been wrecked if she was…dead…I shuddered at that hideous word.

"_Don't…" my inner self commanded. "Just don't say that word…because it's only going to upset you and it didn't happen." _

"When you and Seto didn't come home for almost 2 hours without any word, and…they said there was a severe accident and there…was Seto's car on the news, I-I…was so afraid I lost both of you…" Mokuba stammered and buried his head in her good shoulder. Poor Mokuba…I still felt so bad that he was so worried about us and I left him alone to be scared, but I was busy watching the doctors fix her and being scared to lose her if I let go of her hand that it didn't dawn on me to call him. I'd have to make it up to him for scaring him.

"I don't know what we would have done if we lost you…" I chimed in. I wanted her to know that. We let her go a moment, hoping it had helped, but she kept crying. I was dying to know why she was crying…I couldn't stand her tears; I wanted them to go away and for her to feel better.

"Please, Misty, tell us, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked worried.

"I feel so loved with how scared y'all were…b-b-but…I feel…so useless…and like such a burden…now…" she stammered. A burden? Is that what was bothering her?

"You're not a burden," Mokuba assured her.

"No, you're not a burden. Don't ever think that way again," I scolded her gently. How could she think of herself that way? No, she was NOT a burden in the LEAST bit…

"Then what am I?"Misty countered.

"Alive and under repair," I answered firmly. "We're going to make sure you heal properly and are back to being the normal you." I owed her that, particularly since she saved me…again, and I wanted her to return to being the same, strong, feisty woman Mokuba and I loved. None of us would be happy while she was this way…she wouldn't be happy because she couldn't move or do anything, and Mokuba and I would be unhappy to see her so miserable in our company. All the more reason to help her recover as quickly as possible.

"But won't you get tired of coming back and forth to take care of me?" Misty asked still upset.

"No because we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're alright," Mokuba promised. Damn straight!

"And you're going to be living with us so we can ensure you're being properly cared for," I announced and could tell she looked relieved at my announcement. Good, very good. I'm glad that put her at ease.

"I can't believe you would imagine yourself to be a burden," I scoffed. What would make her think that way? Haven't we done everything we could to show her what she means to us and show her how much we care for her? Was she scarred from the past?

"I've…j-just…gotten used to being…independent, and it's…h-hard asking for help…In my experience, if I asked for help…, I'd get it, but then I felt…a sense of obligation of return…and sometimes…I felt as if the person helping me…r-resented it a little…even if I tried…to repay the favor…" Misty answered tearfully. Oh…that explained it…she hated asking for help because she felt obligated to return the favor and that the person doing the favors for her felt obligated doing them. I totally remembered the day at the grocery store when I interviewed her for the second time and she was so reluctant to accept my help at the register and carrying her groceries. How long had she been so hesitant to accept help? We hugged her again and I wiped her tears away and kissed her gently then made her look into my eyes.

"You. Are. Not. A. Burden." I declared. I wanted her to see how serious I was about her not being a burden on us. I hope she understood.

"Yeah Misty, we'd be happy to take care of you and make you feel better. We love you," Mokuba chimed in.

"Mokuba's right. We do love you," I agreed. Wow…saying that was such a rush…

"I love y'all too," Misty replied and we hugged her happily. She really loved us! I know my heart was soaring sky high, and I bet Mokuba's was too. I couldn't remember the last time I was this happy.

"Thank you," I whispered in her ear sharing how elated I was to have heard her say that. I was surprised she looked at me puzzled.

"For?" she asked confused.

"Being so selfless…and for loving us." She cocked her head to the side like she was confused. Was the pain medication making her head fuzzy?

"You saved me twice already, and you're the only one to truly love us in the longest time. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for me," I clarified and she smiled a bit. I was glad to see her smile.

"You're welcome. It was my first instinct to save you." Misty replied modestly. I was touched she had said that; she truly cared about me. I smiled and kissed her softly and Mokuba smiled a bit as he watched. There was a bit of a peaceful quiet and I noticed she seemed curious about something.

"How…bad am I?" she asked.

"You have a broken arm, broken ribs, broken hip, broken leg, facial and neck scars, and you were stabbed in the chest with a shard of glass," I explained hesitantly. I mentally shuddered as I recalled seeing her injuries in my memories again.

"God Almighty…" Misty remarked with her eyes wide with incredulousness.

"It's really a miracle you're alive." That was an understatement…

"St. Peter…sent me back…"she replied.

"He did?" Mokuba and I asked astonished. This was a little hard to get my head around.

"Yes…he said…I still have work to do…with y'all. He never said…what kind of work though…" Misty replied. That's VERY interesting, but I frankly couldn't care what kind of work it was that she had to do with us, as long as it kept her here with us.

"Whatever it is, I'm glad he sent you back to us. I guess we're stuck with you," I attempted to joke and smiled. I couldn't resist making a sarcastic joke, but at least I knew she'd get my humor.

"Like glue," she agreed and chuckled a little but stopped and groaned in pain. "Owww…" Oh no, did she hurt herself more trying to chuckle?

"Don't laugh. I don't want you to hurt yourself," I instructed worriedly. I didn't want her to make her injuries worse.

"That sucks…I can't even laugh…" Misty groaned and pouted a little. So much for laughter being the best medicine. I felt so bad for her; her smiles and laughter could really make Mokuba and me smile, and now she had to hold back. She looked a little sad and miserable that she couldn't express herself fully, and any smile that Mokuba and I had faded from our lips. There was another bout of silence until Misty broke it.

"I guess I have to drop out of school for now…" Misty sighed melancholically. I could tell she was really disappointed that she had to do that, but had no choice otherwise. How could she be expected to do her work if she was so busted up? On that same thought, since she had to drop her classes, I might have to lay her off since she couldn't work. I didn't want to do that, but I'd do it if absolutely necessary. I can always rehire her when she's better. At least she will be living with me and Mokuba so she won't have to worry about her bills and rent.

"You can always go back in the next session and make it up," I reassured her.

"I'm sure your teachers would understand," Mokuba chimed.

"Yeah…" Misty agreed, but she was still glum about having to drop her classes. Mokuba and I squeezed her hands gently to reassure her. I felt the current flowing between us again and I hoped the current would be soothing to her. I had to do something to help her feel better and get justice for her condition.

"I'll make this up to you," I promised.

"How?" Misty asked as she looked at me curiously.

"I'll sue the bastard other driver for putting you in here. I will make him pay DEARLY for almost taking you away from us."I explained. That bastard SERIOUSLY deserved to pay! Mokuba and I would never have forgiven him if she had died. I would've made sure he had the worst punishment there was, and then some. Misty smiled. I'm glad that made her smile at least, and I'm glad she seemed to agree that he really needed to suffer.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied and kissed her forehead. We talked for a few hours until her morphine wore off and she cried out in pain again. Oh no!

"Misty!" Mokuba and I exclaimed worriedly. I had to do something to help, but what?

"Mokuba! Call the nurse!" I commanded saying the first thing that sprang to my lips. Mokuba grabbed my remote and pressed the nurse button. Immediately the nurse came in and injected more morphine into her IV and stayed a moment to keep an eye on her and then left once she started to calm down almost like nothing had even happened. Once Misty had calmed down, Mokuba and I were able to relax knowing she was okay and didn't feel the pain anymore. A few minutes later, her eyes started to droop and she was out like a light and sleeping peacefully.

"Poor Misty…I can't even imagine how much in pain she is," Mokuba remarked slightly downcast as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Neither can I, Mokuba," I agreed. I sighed. If it hadn't been for her throwing herself in front of me, I'd probably be in the bed next to her in casts and in pain too. I felt a bit guilty and like part of this was my fault; I should have listened to her when she mentioned not being comfortable leaving last night and her being okay to wear her same clothes. We watched her sleeping for a few minutes.

"So Seto, what are we going to do while she sleeps? I don't want to leave her, but I don't want to just sit here doing nothing," Mokuba asked.

"Well, I suppose we can get some of the servants to help us move her stuff out of her apartment and take it to the mansion and then get things ready for her move in a couple days from now," I replied.

"Good idea Seto," Mokuba agreed with a smile. "I can't wait for her to move in and we get to see her all the time!" He exclaimed excitedly with a big grin. I smiled a little bit at his enthusiasm and ruffled his long raven hair.

"Neither can I, Mokuba." I then called Cynthia, the head of my household staff, and ordered her to round up some of the servants to help with the move and to start getting the mansion ready for Misty's arrival in a couple days.

"Right away, Mr. Kaiba. We'll make her feel welcome," Cynthia promised me and then hung up to follow my orders. I called Edward to pick us up and then take us to a moving truck company and then take the servants Cynthia rounded up and take them to Misty's apartment. I rifled through her torn purse, grabbed her keys, and then put them in my pocket. While we waited for Edward to call us and tell us he was here, we sat by her bedside just quietly watching her sleep. I wondered what she was dreaming about. She looked so peaceful and so beautiful, despite her injuries. I squeezed and caressed her hand and kissed it when my phone rang. It jolted me and I fumbled to answer it. I was surprised it didn't wake her, but the morphine must be really strong to keep her asleep.

"Hello?" I asked once I managed to recollect my wits.

"Mr. Kaiba, I'm here to pick you up," Edward replied.

"Alright, we'll be down in a couple minutes," I responded and hung up the phone. I looked over at Mokuba. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Mokuba answered with a smile still excited about Misty living with us. He got off his chair and went to the door. I hung back a moment and looked at my Misty one more time and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

"See you soon Misty, I love you." I whispered and then left with Mokuba. Once we were in the limo, Mokuba smiled again.

"That was so sweet, big bro," Mokuba told me. I smiled a little.

"Thanks, I guess," I replied. Mokuba then gave me an affectionate, brotherly hug.

"It's nice to see you happy and in love," he told me.

"It's even nicer that she loves us back," I replied.

"It is. I'm so glad she changed her mind from adamantly refusing to fall in love and have a workplace romance to loving us."

"Me too," I agreed. "And at least I can probably help with that whole workplace relationship thing that was bothering her," I added.

"What do you mean Seto?"

"Well, I may have to lay her off for a little while since she can't work."

"That's not fair to her Seto," Mokuba replied and looked a little disappointed in me. Ouch…

"Well, actually it isn't so bad. I don't want to have her worry about work while she's trying to recover and she's living with us and we're taking care of her. She doesn't have to worry about paying anything off either."

"Maybe you should just give her some medical leave?" Mokuba suggested. "When she's better, she'll need work again, and we can't afford to go through more hell trying to replace her." I twitched at the memory of having to suffer with those bimbos, and he did have a point.

"Alright, I'll do that then." Mokuba smiled a little, satisfied. There was a bit of a silence for a minute and we watched the buildings passing by and I pondered what else I can do for her. I wanted to do something special for her, but what?

"What's on your mind big bro?"

"I want to do something special for her, but I don't know what. I want to cheer her up and show what she means to us, particularly since she saved me twice, the last time she risked her own life to save mine. You and I both know she's very special and we're very lucky to have her." Mokuba grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Well…" he began. I looked at him curiously.

"Well what?"

"You could always ask her to marry you…" he finished.

"I could, but it's still a little too soon for me to ask her."

"Why? St. Peter told her that her work was with us and she was meant to stay with us, she makes us happy, she takes care of us and loves us, she saved you, and she's already like part of our family," Mokuba pointed out.

"I know Mokuba, but I'm not ready to ask her yet. I will do it soon," I replied.

"Alright," Mokuba sighed. "I guess we can get her another special piece of jewelry or another gift." Immediately, an idea clicked in my head.

"I know the perfect thing to give her," I declared.

"Oh? What is it Seto?"

"Our mother's locket. We can add a picture of us smiling now in the locket and she can wear us close to her heart." Mokuba smiled widely.

"That's perfect Seto! Misty will love it!" I smirked triumphantly as I now knew what to give her, and we had arrived at the moving truck rental company. We got out and Edward left to go pick up the servants at the mansion and take them to her apartment. We went inside and of course there were people surprised and flustered at the sight of us. I heard murmurings about our possible reason for being there and I wore my signature scowl and crossed my arms in annoyance as we waited in line to rent a truck and get some boxes and packing tape. About 15 minutes later, we got a big truck, some boxes, and packing tape. I took the keys and shared the load of carrying the boxes and tape with Mokuba, and we climbed into the cab, got buckled in and started heading towards Misty's apartment. Our servants were waiting and ready to go. We walked up the stairs and I unlocked her apartment. We all went inside and met in the living room, and I started delegating which servants had which room. The female servants would have her room, some of them would have the bathroom, some the kitchen, and the male servants would have to do the heavy lifting, the living room, and any other room. Mokuba and I were going to help the guys. Within 3 hours, we had moved everything that belonged to Misty out of the apartment and into the truck, and then I had gone back to her apartment and locked her door. I was going to the manager's office to end her lease and turn in her key, but it was closed; I was going to have to do it tomorrow then. I was surprised when I got back to the truck and there was the police. Irritably, I walked up to them.

"What seems to be the trouble, officers?"

"We got a call that there was a robbery going on here," an officer explained as he looked at us suspiciously.

"IT'S NOT A ROBBERY!" I insisted angrily. How dare they accuse us of robbery? And why the hell would I, Seto Kaiba, be robbing anybody in the first place?

"Then what's going on here?" the officer demanded.

"We're moving my seriously injured girlfriend out of this apartment into my mansion!" I growled viciously.

"Does she know about this?"

"YES, YOU PEONS! I HAVE HER KEY!" I snarled and showed them her keys. "NOW LEAVE OR SO HELP ME I WILL CALL THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND HAVE YOU RELIEVED OF DUTY!" I threatened with my signature icy stare.

"Easy Mr. Kaiba, we're just doing our job," another officer dared to say. I turned on him.

"I SAID GO! GO DO YOUR JOB SOMEWHERE ELSE AND LET US FINISH THE MOVE!" The officers backed away and wisely got into their patrol cars and left. I growled irritably and made sure the back of the door was locked and secure before climbing into the cab of the truck with Mokuba while the servants got back in the limo.

"Easy Seto," Mokuba said to try and calm me down.

"How dare they accuse us of robbery!" I grumbled.

"I know, but we need to relax and look on the bright side. Misty's going to be living with us and at least we know her neighbors were looking out for her too." I took a deep breath. Mokuba was right. It was a bit of a comfort to know that at least her neighbors were watchful and were only looking out for Misty.

We went to the mansion and started unloading the truck and moving her in. Oh Lord, this was such a big moment- moving my girlfriend in to stay with us, and I was totally alright with it and then some. I never thought I'd see this day ever happening. I helped unpack some of her belongings and hung her paintings in her room and some in the entry way so we could see them all the time. It was nice having some art on the walls. If Misty ever got famous with her paintings, it was good to know that we had the originals. I left my female servants to unpack her clothes and personal belongings and put them away. When all that was done, I had Edward meet me at the moving truck company and I dropped the truck off and went back to the mansion for a while thinking Misty would still be asleep. Since she'd likely be asleep, I figured I should hang out here and take care of some business in the meantime. I booted up my computer and checked my emails boredly. I did notice I got a lot of solicitation emails and some well wishes glad I was okay, a few proposals, and I noticed that there were some disturbing emails from fangirls saying that Misty deserved to have been in the accident and that she didn't deserve me. I immediately deleted them and put a filter on those kinds of messages so I wouldn't have to ever see them again. I skimmed over the proposals until I saw an interesting one. There was a medical company that specialized in orthopedics and physical rehabilitation that had heard about the accident and had an idea. They had expressed their get well wishes to Misty and their relief that I was okay, and then they had proposed a robotic aid to go over damaged limbs as a removable brace to assist patients like Misty in regaining movement by giving actual physical support as the patients were rebuilding damaged muscle tissue. In a way it was sort of like a crutch, but it was more advanced; while the robotic aid did give physical support, it did a portion of the work based on how much work the patient wearing the aid was doing. The idea was really good and they had done all the research necessary and even made a prototype, but they needed help getting it mass produced. I thought about it. True, my company did primarily deal with holographic technology for making dueldisks and other various dueling technology, but I wouldn't mind branching out a little, especially if it meant Misty could be back to normal that much sooner. I responded with "I'll consider that idea, if I can test it out on Misty and ensure that it works." A few minutes later, I got another response saying.

"Excellent! We'd love to be able to test it out! Please get her doctor's consent and bring her by so we can get her fitted for it. We hope this will help her recover faster. Thank you so much!" I smiled and saved the email so I can remember to print this out and file it away later. I felt so much better knowing that I was going to help Misty recover faster with the help of this company and their robotic aid. If this worked, I was eagerly going to approve it. I skimmed over the other emails and saw an ad for a motorized wheelchair. I'm sure Misty was sick and tired of just lying in bed and wanted to move around, and I knew I'd need a backup plan in case the robotic aid didn't work, so I ordered one to be delivered tomorrow. As soon as I had ordered a wheelchair for her, I looked around and noticed I'd need to change a few things to make it easier for her to move around with her wheelchair and robotic aid, particularly in the bathrooms downstairs, so I looked online for the improvements she'd need and ordered them. I then informed some of my servants that I was ordering some improvements for the downstairs area so she could move around and ordered them to have them set up for her by the time she comes home. They smiled and readily agreed to set them up for her. It was nice to know that the staff liked Misty. I sat with Mokuba on the couch and saw he was looking through a box of pictures for a recent picture of the two of us actually smiling, but that seemed impossible to find. I guess we'd need to take one...after I get myself cleaned up and changed. I went to my room, got some fresh clothes, and then went to take a quick shower and got dressed. It was a shame that I had to get rid of this outfit that Misty had chosen for me yesterday. I found a digital camera and Cynthia and asked her to take a picture of us smiling. She looked at me puzzled.

"It's so we can put it in a locket for Misty," Mokuba explained.

"Ah yes," Cynthia responded as she understood. I showed her how to work the camera and then sat back down with Mokuba. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder in a brotherly pose and then in order to smile, I immediately thought about Misty and how she said she loved me and Mokuba. I was brought back to the moment after a flash of light. Cynthia smiled as she looked at the screen.

"That's a perfect shot," Cynthia announced and showed it to me. Yes, indeed it was a perfect shot of the two of us smiling. I'd definitely need to save this and maybe email a copy to Misty so she'd have a full version of the picture to keep.

"Thank you Cynthia," I told her in my business-like tone and she nodded with an obliging smile and then went back to her duties. I handed the camera to Mokuba and then went to the room I had kept locked that held memories from the past, including the few mementos that we kept from before we were sent to the orphanage. I found the hidden key and unlocked the door. I opened the door and the dust in the air swirled at the disturbance in the dark room. I turned on the light switch and watched as the lightbulb started out dim and then went bright. I scanned the room and found a dusty box full of our belongings from when we were younger. I grabbed a rag and smacked the dust off the box and then started digging around and found a small velvet box. I opened it and found the locket. I closed the velvet box and then closed the box and dusted myself off. I went to the doorway, turned the lights off, locked the door and put the key away. I went back to the living room holding the velvet box in my fingers.

"I found it. Let's go print the picture and have it put into the locket," I said to Mokuba.

"Alright big bro," Mokuba replied and got up and joined me as we told Edward we wanted to go to a store with a photo department and got in the limo. A few minutes later we had gotten to the store and had the photo technicians print a few copies of the picture and put one in the locket. I could not wait to give this to her. I looked at my watch and saw that it was about 6:30 p.m. Misty might be awake and eating dinner. I'll deal with everything else later, right now I wanted to go see her. I put the locket away in the velvet box and turned to Mokuba.

"Ready to go see her?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Mokuba exclaimed and we were going back to the limo and on the way to the hospital. We walked into the hospital and to the elevator to her floor, and I felt a surge as we walked the hallway to her room. It was strange that she could do that to me. We walked into her room and she looked like she had just finished her dinner. Ah damn. As we saw her dinner tray, I realized we hadn't eaten anything today, but that was the least of my worries right now.

"Hey Misty!" Mokuba greeted with his big smile.

"Hey bud," Misty greeted back with a smile. It was nice to see her happy to see us.

"Hi," I piped up.

"Hi," she echoed.

"Guess what Misty!" Mokuba began excitedly.

"What?" Misty asked with a smile.

"You're all moved into the mansion now!" Mokuba said excitedly and her smile widened. I was so glad she looked happy.

"That's good."

"Yeah! It's going to be awesome having you live with us!" Mokuba hugged her on her good side. Oh…he needs to be careful.

"Easy Mokuba," I told him, watching them carefully. I didn't want her anymore hurt than she already was. Reluctantly, Mokuba eased up. "And I know it's going to be great having her live with us, but she can't do a whole lot; she needs to heal," I reminded him. I hated being that buzzkill, but he had to remember that.

"Alright Seto," Mokuba replied slightly downcast, but he seemed to perk up a little. "But at least we get to spend more time with you Misty!"

"Right," Misty agreed with a smile and ruffled his hair with her left hand making him chuckle. We pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed.

"So, did you get to open your gifts and cards yet?" Mokuba asked eagerly. Honestly, I forgot all about her gifts.

"Well, one, from my girlfriends, but I haven't been able to reach over there, silly," Misty replied with an affectionate smile. Mokuba chuckled a little.

"Right," he replied and then moved her empty plate and glass to another table and started putting her gifts and cards on her bedside table.

"Who sent these?" she asked.

"Roland, Edward, some of the servants, and I think some of your teachers and classmates," I replied, vaguely remembering overhearing the servants say something to each other and having read the tags of the others, but I was honestly more focused on her being okay and surviving, and getting her stuff situated at the mansion.

"Awww! That was so nice of them!" Misty said with a smile. I knew she'd really appreciate them, and I was that much more eager to give her the locket."Mokuba, could you help me open these?" That was nice of her to make him feel useful.

"Yeah!" Mokuba responded eagerly and helped her open the gifts and cards. Misty smiled at his enthusiasm; it was kind of like watching a little kid at Christmas. She read the cards and smiled appreciatively at the gifts as they were revealed to her. I could tell she wanted to laugh at some of the cards, but forced herself not to because it could upset her ribs. Mokuba and I squeezed her hands in understanding knowing she wanted to laugh but was holding back. We definitely could not wait to hear her laughter again. I noticed a sweet perfume she was wearing, and it smelled so good on her.

"You smell nice," I complimented her.

"Thanks, the girls gave me this stuff," Misty replied and showed me the stuff her friends gave her.

"It's nice, and useful," I remarked with a smile. She could definitely use the robe if she was feeling modest and also after her showers and baths, and the rest of the stuff would help make her feel pretty again. I personally liked the scent she was wearing; she smelled so delicious and I could spend all day having her next to me and enjoying that smell.

"Yeah," she agreed.

The three of us chatted for a while until Mokuba had fallen asleep in his chair next to her on her left side. She smiled at him like how a mother smiles at her child, and then she turned to me with a bit of a serious expression. Something was definitely on her mind.

"Seto," she whispered so as not to wake Mokuba.

"Yes Misty?" I whispered back curiously.

"Um…I have an…awkward question…" she began nervously. What was this about?

"What is it?"

"Um…the nurse gave me a sponge bath today…and I asked how I would…clean myself up…and…she told me…y-you'd…need to…h-help me…" she stammered and suddenly couldn't look me in the eye. Oh! I got what she was getting at.

"And you wanted me to help you?" I couldn't help feeling a little excited at the idea of me having to be the one to bathe her. I tried to remain neutral about it, but still the prospect of what she was saying was so good.

"_Perv…" my thoughts scolded me. _

"_What? She's the one that brought it up," I protested._

"_And you're jumping to conclusions! Look at her face," he commanded. I obeyed and she looked slightly uncomfortable. Oh…that wasn't a good look…_

"_You catch on real quick," he retorted. _

"Actually…um…I'm not exactly ready to let you see me yet…and I know you'd be really busy with work…" she replied. This moment was like in the movies in which there's a soundtrack in the background to segue into the next bit, and then the record scratches when something unpleasant and unexpected happens.

"Oh…" I had to admit I was disappointed. "Well, I can get you a nurse to help with that then," I added. Uh-oh…now it was my turn to feel awkward. She looked up at me. Oh damn…how was I going to say this? I took a deep breath and my hand went to the back of my neck. Think Seto, think! Aw damn…there was no easy way to say this…Might as well get it over with…

"Um…I know you don't feel comfortable letting me see your body yet, but…I…saw you…"I admitted. There! I said it. Now to endure the aftermath… Her eyes widened alarmed and her left arm automatically pulled the blanket up to her neck, as if trying to hide herself. She looked away from me embarrassed.

"I saw you…in the operating room…when the doctors and surgeons were fixing your body up…I was holding your hand because I was so…afraid…I'd lose you if I let go of your hand. I never let go since we were in the ambulance…I'm…sorry…" I confessed. She remained quiet and kept her head down. Was she furious with me? I came closer to whisper in her ear, but right now she didn't seem to like that. "You looked beautiful to me…even with the damage…" I whispered and then kissed her. I wasn't expecting her to pull away.

"What's wrong?" I asked surprised. I didn't understand why she'd pull away or why she'd be angry.

"_Weren't you angry when you thought she'd seen you naked during your appendectomy? She feels violated because you saw and she didn't give the okay to," my inner self explained. "And she's also self-conscious; look at the way she was trying to hide her body. She's feeling ugly right now."_

"_But she's not ugly…" I replied._

"_Tell her that…" he retorted. _

"I look horrendous…" she replied glumly. My inner self was right.

"No you don't," I retorted, but I could tell she didn't believe me. I sighed. I had to explain to her that she is still beautiful, just under repairs right now. "Let me put it in an analogy for you. You know how beautiful my Ferrari was before the accident, right?" She looked at me curiously and nodded. "And you know how it's all smashed up on one side, right?" Misty nodded again, and waited for me to continue. At least she was understanding. "Well, you're like the Ferrari. I'm going to get it fixed up and look as good as new, and that's what's going on with you right now. I'm going to help you get fixed up so you're as good as new," I explained. Misty smiled a half-smile as she seemed to understand. Excellent. "My Ferrari, like you, had a beautiful body before the accident, and after some repairs, it, like you, will be as good as new and will look just as good after all the repairs." Misty smiled a little more, but she still seemed a little insecure though. I thought we were making progress…what was wrong now?

"Why are you still insecure now?" I asked slightly exasperated. How was I going to get through to her and assure her she was still beautiful to me?

"But…you had all these bimbos with sexier, skinnier, bods throwing themselves at you…" Misty protested. Oh I get it…she felt insecure about the shape of her body compared to others.

"So?" I asked with a shrug. "What's your point?" She looked at me baffled, like she wasn't expecting that.

"You never felt any lust towards them?" she asked. Oh God no.

"No," I replied simply.

"Really?" Misty was incredulous. I really wished she would believe me.

"I felt absolutely nothing towards them," I assured her and looked her square in the eye when I said it. "They did everything to show off as much as they possibly could of their bodies, but you could tell how fake they were. Their fakeness revolted me. You, however, are modest and completely all-natural. Your curves are so incredibly sexy, soft, and feminine. I told you yesterday how much guys wanted you? Well, I'm one of those guys. I want you, so bad…but, I won't act on it because I know you aren't ready for it yet, but I do want you to know you turn me on," I explained. I hoped that worked. She looked astonished.

"I love you," I whispered. I could tell she was feeling better and reassured.

"I love you too," she whispered back and I smiled and kissed her. Now it was time to show her how serious I was about how much I loved her.

"I've got something for you," I whispered. I got out the velvet box from my pocket and opened it to show her the locket.

"It's so beautiful!" Misty whispered and grinned. I opened it and showed her the pictures of me and Mokuba when we were young kids, and the picture from this afternoon. I was so happy she really liked my gift. Misty moved her hair and turned so I could put it on. I felt a current as I put it on her and I kissed her forehead and then her lips. Misty fingered the locket, smiling.

"That was our mother's…I put the picture of Mokuba when he was a kid in there after she died, and of course, I put a picture of me and Mokuba presently so you could have us close to your heart. You deserve it," I explained and I noticed she was tearing up.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm…just so…touched…and honored…that you found me…worthy…of wearing your mama's locket…"she replied tearfully. Oh. She was definitely worthy.

"Take good care of it," I whispered and smiled.

"I'll never take it off," Misty promised and kissed me and smiled when I kissed back. I was so glad she was feeling so happy.

"_She's so perfect for you, Seto. You made a good choice," A vaguely familiar ghostly female's voice in my head spoke. It kind of sounded like…my mother…spooky…_

We stopped kissing when she gasped and cried out in pain. I pressed the nurse button anxiously while I watched her face contort in pain. Oh hurry nurse… The nurse came in and changed the IV and then injected morphine. A couple moments passed before Misty relaxed as the medication seemed to kick in.

"Um…nurse? I…have to use the bedpan again…" she requested. I moved Mokuba from the bed to the couch to which he stayed asleep, and then went into the hallway to give her some privacy. The nurse came to the hallway a few minutes later and I came back in. Misty gave me a sleepy smile as I came in and sat back down in the chair beside her bed on her right side and squeezed her hand. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep. I kissed her hand and heard my stomach growling loudly. I was starving. I got up and went down to the cafeteria and grabbed a tray of food and ate and then came back a few minutes later and watched her sleeping for a while until I fell asleep. My dreams were okay, but then I had a nightmare about the accident again and this time she was slipping away. I had to hold onto her so she wouldn't leave me.

"_Misty! Stay with me! Please!" I begged as I held on tightly. I suddenly felt 3 people ripping me away from her and I tried to fight them._

"M-Misty? What's going on?" I yelled as I woke up. I saw her crying. "Misty! What's wrong? What happened?" I demanded. "Let me go!" I yelled to the idiots holding me back. My Misty was in pain! She needed me!

"You were hurting her in your sleep!" the nurse retorted angrily.

"I what?" I yelled in surprise. Impossible! Why would I hurt her?

"Hm? What's…going on?" Mokuba asked sleepily.

"You had a fit and held onto her broken side!" the nurse yelled.

"He what?" Mokuba exclaimed and we both looked at her and saw her crying. The nurse's words registered in my head. Oh no…I hurt her!

"Misty…I'm so sorry…" I apologized and felt so bad, but it was nothing compared to her looking like she was in so much pain.

"Keep your hands off her!" the nurse yelled.

"Misty! I'm sorry!" I begged again ignoring the nurse.

"Please…just get out…for a little…while…" Misty requested. Oh no…I'd have to make this up to her! I can't believe she was sending me a way for a while.

"Come on Seto, let's go," Mokuba said gently and started tugging me out of the room with the nurses.

"Misty I'm sorry!" I exclaimed again as they dragged me out. I was trying so hard to make sure she knew. I wanted to stay with her, but she didn't want me there…

"Seto? What happened?" Mokuba asked.

"I saw…the accident again…she was slipping away…" I explained sadly. "I was trying to hold onto her so she wouldn't be taken from me," I added.

"But she's not going to be taken away from us, and you need to be careful," Mokuba reminded me. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast and go do something to keep us busy for a little while. We can see her again later," Mokuba spoke calmly and led me to the cafeteria for breakfast. I couldn't stop thinking about what I just did to her and ate in an unfocused manner.

"So Seto, what are we going to do today?" Mokuba asked as he ate a cinnamon roll. I forced myself to think about what we could do today. I knew I needed to return her key to the apartment and end her lease, get her address changed so I can get her mail forwarded to her. I also had to hire a nurse to take care of her while I was at work, and hopefully see if the improvements I ordered and the wheelchair had come in.

"Well, we need to turn her key into her apartment manager's office and end her lease, we need to go to the post office to get her address changed so she can get her mail at the mansion, we need to hire a nurse for her, and make sure everything is ready for her arrival tomorrow. Did you want to go to school?" I asked and remembered it was Monday.

"No, I want to help."

"Alright," I replied and we finished breakfast a few minutes later and then got up. I went to the nurse's station and asked for a good recommendation on a home healthcare nurse. They gave me a few recommendations and I met each nurse that was recommended. I did a group interview and picked a nurse that seemed perfect for her- a nurse with at least 10 years experience, was about 30 or so, female, and had good bedside skills; her name was Sally. I felt confident leaving Misty in her hands. One important thing down, a few more to go. We called Edward and waited a few minutes for him to come get us. It was a pretty quiet ride to Misty's complex again, and I got her key off her keyring and walked into the manager's office. Naturally, she was surprised to see me. She had heard about the accident and truly felt bad about Misty and was glad I was taking good care of her. It was so nice that she cared about Misty like that. I turned in her key and terminated her lease and paid whatever balance she owed. We went to the post office and then got her address changed and arranged to have all her mail forwarded to the mansion. That left two things left to accomplish- see if the wheelchair and the improvements have arrived. We went back to the mansion and I was glad to see they had arrived and that the servants were hard at work setting them up. Mokuba and I got changed into something we wouldn't mind getting dirty and started helping. It took a few hours but we got everything set up and ready for her arrival. Speaking of which, I needed to get her something to wear for tomorrow. I asked a female servant to pick out a dress for her since that would be the easiest thing for her to wear home and put it in a bag. While she was doing that, Mokuba and I got some fresh clothes for tomorrow. We were packed and ready in 15 minutes. I hoped Misty was feeling better and that she wasn't too mad with me for this morning…

"Alright Mokuba, let's go back to the hospital," I told him.

"Okay, but I think you should stop and get her some flowers since you did hurt her this morning…" Mokuba suggested. He HAD to bring that up...the reminder kind of stung.

"Alright," I replied nonchalantly as we got into the limo and had Edward take us to a florist. I bought a colorful bouquet of roses with a vase and then we headed towards the hospital. Edward dropped us off at the entrance and we walked to her room. We walked into her room and we paused a moment as we saw her sleeping peacefully. She looked so beautiful and so happy in her sleep. I wondered what she was dreaming about. We silently came up to her bed and I sat on one side of her bed taking care not to upset her busted limbs. I squeezed her good hand, gently kissed her forehead. She smiled and her eyes fluttered open and focused on me.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hi," I echoed with a slight smile. "I'm sorry," I whispered and presented her with the roses. I hoped this peace offering helped get me back on her good side.

"I know. That's enough. Stop apologizing," she commanded and caressed my cheek.

"You forgive me?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes," Misty replied and gave me a light kiss. "I love you." I felt a little better.

"Thank you and I love you too," I replied and smiled a little. I was so glad she wasn't mad at me.

"He was so afraid he made your injuries worse," Mokuba told her.

"I was," I admitted. "I was haunted by the accident, and it freaked me out, and I ended up holding onto you." I explained. That brought on a fresh pang of guilt.

"Well, it did hurt a little, but I think it was more from the suddenness of your weight. There was no further damage," She assured me. I smiled a little, but I still felt guilty.

"I'm s-…" I began but she put a finger to my lips and cut me off before I could say anything else .

"I said enough," Misty told me and pulled her finger away from my lips. Alright, if she was sure about that, I supposed it was truly okay to relax.

"_Besides, if you keep apologizing, it's only going to annoy her," my inner self told me. He was right…I didn't want to annoy her. _

"So, what'd y'all do today? How was school Mokuba?"Misty asked changing the subject. I was actually glad she'd changed the subject.

"I didn't go to school today. I was helping Seto get everything finalized and ready for you to come home," Mokuba replied.

"We got you a motorized wheelchair and started installing things to make moving around easier, we finalized your move out with your apartment manager, got a change of address for you to get your mail at the mansion, and I hired a personal nurse to take care of you while I'm at work," I told her. Misty smiled. I was glad I could make her smile.

"Thank you, Seto," she responded with a light kiss. I felt proud that I was already starting to take good care of her and that it made her happy.

"We got you these too," Mokuba chimed in referring to the roses.

"They're beautiful, thank you," Misty replied with an appreciative smile and hugged us lightly. I felt her watching us as we filled the vase with water and flower food. Mokuba had one of the nurses bring some scissors and we cut the stems and put them in the vase so they looked the most appealing.

"Y'all would be very good florists," Misty teased lightly when we had finished. Well, I don't know about that kind of career path for us, but it was a nice compliment all the same.

"Thanks Misty," Mokuba said.

"So, what'd you do today?" I asked as Mokuba and I sat in our bedside chairs and focused our attention on her.

"Nothing really, just watch TV and read until I got bored and fell asleep," She replied with a nonchalant shrug and sighed. I could tell she seemed tired of doing nothing. "I'm so glad I'll have the wheelchair to move around. I can't stay in bed all day doing nothing." I knew exactly how she felt; I was so bored out of my mind when I was recovering the next day from the appendectomy.

"Yeah," we agreed. Speaking of moving around, I just remembered the email proposal about the robotic aid and how it could help her. I had forgotten to tell her about it yesterday when we came back to the hospital.

"What's on your mind Seto?" she asked curiously. I could tell she was feeling a little bit more like herself since she seemed to perceive what I was thinking.

"I checked my emails and I had a proposal that was very intriguing," I announced and actually felt almost giddy to tell her that she'd have tremendous help getting back to normal with this robotic aid.

"What is it?" Misty asked.

"I got an email from a medical company that heard about the accident and such and proposed a sort of robotic aid to help support patients while they recover and build strength back up to injured limbs," I replied.

"And you want to try it out on me," she added.

"I was thinking about it," I admitted. I hoped she would consider it.

"I hope it can help you be back to normal sooner," Mokuba chimed in.

"Well, it's worth a shot. Anything to get me back to being back to normal," she replied. We smiled. This was fantastic! If this worked she'll be moving easily again in no time.

"Well, I'll approve it then," I told her and earned a pretty and proud smile from her.

"You've come a long way from automatically rejecting the proposals," Misty pointed out. Ah, so that's why she was proud of me.

"You've had quite an influence on me," I replied.

"Yep!" Mokuba agreed optimistically.

We talked for a while and the nurse brought her dinner, and we figured it would be nice to eat dinner with her, so Mokuba and I walked to the cafeteria and picked up some food and brought it back to her room to eat with her. I could tell she liked us having dinner with her. To us, it was the closest we've had to a family dinner. It felt nice. Granted Mokuba and I ate together often, but it wasn't quite the same . Wait a minute…I actually thought of her as part of our family…wow…

"_So, when are you going to pop the question?" My inner self asked. _

"_When I decide to," I retorted, but I knew it wouldn't be too far in the future from now. _

"_Alright. I bet you can't wait to have more family dinners like this, eh?" my inner self nudged me and winked. Come to think of it, he was right. We would be having more dinners like this more often. I smiled inwardly at the picture in my head- Mokuba and me coming home from school and work to a beautiful woman waiting for us to dine with her and talk to us about our day and what's going on. It felt so right. _

After dinner we chatted for a while until Misty winced in pain again. Mokuba paged the nurse and the nurse changed her IV bag and injected more morphine.

"You seem to be doing better on your morphine today," the nurse remarked impressed.

"Really?" she asked surprised. I was surprised and impressed too considering the damage she had. She was much stronger than I thought.

"She's strong!" Mokuba and I answered together, making her giggle and groan. She must've forgotten she wasn't allowed to laugh, chuckle, or giggle yet. Poor Misty…

"Take it easy," I gently reminded her.

"Sorry, forgot," she replied and started to get drowsy again. Mokuba kissed her cheek and I kissed her forehead before she was completely out.

"I bet she's going to heal fairly quickly," Mokuba remarked. I only hoped so. "It must be a good sign if the nurse said she was doing much better on her morphine."

"It is," I concurred. "She's so strong," I remarked and ran my fingers through her hair.

"She is. I bet she's trying to get off the morphine because it always makes her so tired," Mokuba speculated. I never thought about that. It could be a possibility.

"Maybe," I agreed.

"It was nice to have a family dinner," Mokuba changed the subject.

"Yes it was. I enjoyed it, and there will be more to come like tonight," I assured him. Mokuba smiled.

"I can't wait until she's part of our family for real." I knew what he meant- he couldn't wait for me to propose to and marry her.

"Perhaps sometime soon Mokuba," I replied to appease him. He smiled wider. We talked for a little while longer before we fell asleep. I hoped I didn't hurt her again tonight like last night. Luckily my dreams were pleasant and mostly about the possibilities of her being in our little family, and possibly the family growing a little with some little ones. I could only hope the vision in my head right now would come to life.

We woke up the next morning and spent time with Misty for a little while and then went home to get the wheelchair and make sure everything was ready. I was satisfied with how everything was, and there was a buzz in the air with the servants, who were all excited she was coming today. They were ready to do anything she'd need. Mokuba and I went back to the hospital with the motorized wheelchair and I saw the nurse had helped get her dressed up in the clothes I had brought for her yesterday. She looked and smelled so good. Mokuba had sat next to Misty and watched as the nurse and I got her wheelchair set up. We helped her into it and adjusted it so she was comfortable. We watched as she tested out the controls on the wheelchair and smiled; she looked so happy to be moving around a little. I was so glad I could do that for her. The doctor came in a little while later.

"So Ms. Robinson, you look like you're doing better. Ready to go home?"

"Yes!" The 3 of us exclaimed in unison. The doctor chuckled a little. Glad we could be of amusement to him…

"Well, you keep up the good work in recovery. I'll see you back in about 2-3 weeks and get those casts off and see how you're healing. I'll prescribe you a supply of painkillers to help you when the pain is immense. And I want you to get plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and whey protein in your diet," the doctor instructed as he wrote a prescription out and gave it to me. "See you in a couple weeks," the doctor bade and left.

"Yay!" Mokuba cheered excitedly while I looked at the prescription so I'd know what to get her from the store. Mokuba and I gathered her things into a big gift bag and made sure she had everything and she rolled out of the room with us to the pharmacy to get her painkillers. Once we had gotten them, we went to the lobby and Edward was waiting. He took her big bag and put it in the trunk and then he and I gingerly picked her up and placed her on the seat and set her up. We compacted down her wheelchair and put it in the trunk. We then got in the limo with her and we couldn't stop our excitement from bubbling over. She was actually coming home to stay with us!

"So are you excited?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"I am. I can't wait to come to my new home," she replied with a smile. We eagerly reflected it back. We chatted for a bit about random things and then we had arrived home. Mokuba and I got out first and opened the trunk and helped Edward get her wheelchair out, but didn't unfold it. I wanted to carry her up, and it would be too difficult having to maneuver the wheelchair up to the front door. Instead I had instructed Edward to carry it up the steps and ready it at the door. A few of the other servants got her stuff out of the back and then carried it inside, and then Edward and I helped get her out of the limo. I positioned her so she'd be in my arms on her good side and picked her up. I noticed a smile appear on her lips as a thought must have come into her head.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked curiously. I was glad to see her smiling, but I really wanted to know what had brought it on.

"I sorta feel like a bride right now," Misty replied and stifled a giggle. Mokuba and I chuckled happily that she was feeling like this, and I got what she was talking about. I was carrying her over the threshold into her new home, our mansion. Oh yes, I was definitely going to have to ask her soon, especially if she seemed like she was already feeling like a bride and seemed like she wanted to be.

"You will be, someday soon," I promised. Looks like it was time to start looking at engagement rings if it was going to be soon.

"Oh?" Misty asked curiously. "And just how soon?" We smirked at her. Soon enough.

"We can't tell you," Mokuba answered with a conspirational Cheshire cat grin. I could tell he was going to harp on me until I got the ring and actually set up the proposal. And even then after I asked her, he was going to harp on me to plan the wedding.

"It's a surprise, but it will be very soon," I promised with a kiss. I needed to figure something out.

"I'll hold you to that," she replied and another thought crossed her mind. "How about you carry me to my room?" she suggested.

"I could do that," I answered with a smile. I think she enjoyed playing with the idea of feeling like a bride and me carrying her over the threshold to bed. Too bad it wasn't real. Once we got on the landing by the door, I asked a servant to bring her chair to her room and carried her through the door and to her room I heard her sigh glumly when we entered.

"What's wrong Misty?" Mokuba asked concerned as I laid her on her bed.

"So much for wearing the gown," she replied despondently.

"Aw don't worry Misty, there will be another occasion you can wear it to," Mokuba assured her, but she didn't seem totally enthusiastic about his answer. Well maybe she could wear it to an engagement party and any other formal occasion that came up after she was back to normal.

"True," she concurred as I got her wheelchair set back up for her. "Thank you," it was always nice hearing her say thank you, so I smiled back.

"You're welcome."

"Would you mind helping me into it? I don't feel like just lying here…" she requested. I wouldn't blame her; she hardly moved at all these last few days. I picked her up and gently put her in the chair and made it comfortable for her again.

"Just don't overexert yourself," I instructed. I didn't want her to end up worse and more in pain.

"I won't. I just feel tired of lying around and doing nothing. I'll rest if I get tired," Misty assured me and squeezed my hand. "I feel so grateful and so special you two are going to take such good care of me." That really made me feel good hearing how appreciative she was feeling for us.

"Of course we are!" Mokuba eagerly agreed earning another affectionate smile from her.

"I just wish…I could help y'all out…" she said. There was her independent "I have to repay the favor" streak again…I wish she'd ease up on that a bit.

"No, you're not going to worry about anything but getting better," I commanded. That was the LAST thing she needed to worry about. She wasn't going to heal if she was worrying. "And it's our pleasure," I added a bit more softly once I realized I may have sounded harsh to her.

"Yeah!" Mokuba agreed.

"Alright. I just feel bad that you hired me to help y'all with your work, and now I can't really do anything." That was sweet, but it was more important that she heal, plus she saved my life twice. It was nice to know that she was a loyal employee. I suppose I did have to put her on medical leave to make getting her job back easier when she was better.

"Don't worry about it. We can manage for a little while on our own," I reassured her. We did it before and we can do it again. It wasn't ideal, but we'd be able to handle it for a little while.

"_I hope you're right…" my inner self said grimly. Wow…nice to know I had that vote of confidence…_

"Okay," she replied and then took a commanding tone. She was too smart to just accept that as face value. "But you must promise me that y'all will not stress yourselves out."

"We promise," we agreed together and held up the scout's honor gesture. She really could be a bossy "mom" sometimes, but it was a quality I liked about her.

"Good," she nodded satisfied. I thought about something else. With her being injured like this and me about to be really busy like before, I wasn't going to have much time to plan Battle City.

"Well, we won't have to worry about Battle City planning for a while," I remarked.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked puzzled.

"It'll be one less thing to stress us out. Battle City was supposed to start in 3 weeks, but we can push it back a couple weeks," I answered. Might as well forget about it for a little while.

"Why?"

"Well, so you can heal a little and participate, of course, and it gives me more time to prepare and finalize everything, and gives everyone else more time to practice," I replied. I hoped this answer was obvious enough.

"Alright, if you say so, so be it," she responded with a nonchalant shrug which seemed to signify she couldn't care which way this was going to be. Suddenly she shuddered and cried out in pain making both me and Mokuba nervous.

"Misty!" We exclaimed worriedly and Mokuba rushed to get her painkillers while I was hurriedly getting her some water from the kitchen to wash her meds down. We returned and she gulped both her meds and the water down wincing while she waited for them to take effect. What happened?

"Misty! What happened?" We both asked worriedly.

"I…had a chilling…premonition…shudder…" she answered a bit more laboriously to which could only mean her medication was kicking in.

"A what?"

"Do you remember Saturday night when I started to act strange?" We flinched at the reminder of that horrible memory. "And when I told you that I had a feeling something bad was going to happen?" Uh-oh…this was NOT good…this was not good at all…

"Yeah?" We asked cautiously. What was "Trouble" up to now to try to take her away again?

"Well, after we talked about Battle City just now, I had that same sense I had on Saturday that something bad is about to happen…" she explained. Oh no…we were going to have to deal with possibly losing her again during Battle City? An ominous feeling crept into and settled in the room making it chill dramatically in here. It was like an invisible, poisonous fog.

"S-something bad…is g-going…to happen?" Mokuba asked nervously. "As…bad as…S-Saturday…n-n-night?" she sighed heavily…No...

"Maybe," Misty replied. I was a bit afraid now… I squeezed her left hand a little shakily as if letting go would make me lose her that much faster; it was almost like being in the O.R. with her as the doctors were fixing her up . I felt just slightly better when she squeezed my hand back reassuringly.

"No…" Mokuba remarked shaking his head in disbelief. I didn't want to believe it either, but the last time we didn't really believe her she almost died in that car wreck.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to alarm y'all, but the shudder was strong and with my body being so sensitive right now, it hurt, and y'all asked what was wrong, and I can't lie to y'all…"she apologized. "But, we'll worry about that later, once we get closer to it. I'll just warn y'all now, be on your guard and stay close by to me," she warned. Well, she was right, there was absolutely no point in worrying about it now after I said I wasn't going to worry about it for a while. We still had time to fix everything and set something up to protect her from whatever danger that was about to threaten her. I was NOT going to lose her! I was thankful she'd warned us.

"Oh you aren't going to leave our sight for a minute," I promised her. I couldn't risk letting her out of Mokuba's or my sight for a minute- that's when whatever danger she was in would strike! I squeezed her hand harder, determined to protect her ANY which way I possibly could.

"Look at me guys," she commanded. Our eyes met hers and she stared into our eyes with a firm, unwavering, slightly fiery look in hers. "Worry about THAT later, once we're closer to it. Nothing I know of is going to happen until at least around then, so relax. Let's just enjoy each other's company." We felt a little better.

"You're right. There's no need to get worked up over it right now," I concurred and Mokuba nodded in agreement too. "We have plenty of time later to worry about that," I added. I was definitely going to make good use of the time we had with her before worrying about how to protect her.

"Come here," Misty commanded and pulled at my shirt with her left hand to where I was down at her level and kissed me so deeply. I eagerly kissed back until she let me go. Wow…

"That help?" she asked with a smile. Help what? All I could think about now was that powerful kiss.

"I hope it did," Mokuba said with a smirk.

"Yeah…" I replied with a smile. I don't even know what it helped but it was good.

"Good," she responded with a satisfied smile. Well as long as she was happy that's all that mattered. She wheeled around downstairs with us and talked with us for a while and I bet she was hungry and we hadn't eaten much so I whipped up something really nice and hearty for dinner. She smiled appreciatively and started eating with her left hand. I had to admit I was actually impressed she was so dexterous with her left hand, considering she was so right-handed.

"What? I can only use my left hand," she told us as we watched her eating.

"It's just impressive how skilled you're getting with your left hand," I pointed out.

"Thanks, I guess," she replied nonchalantly. I guess she wasn't as impressed since she had to rely on it to be independent. I cleared the dishes away and she gave me a smile. "Thank you, it was delicious," I smiled proudly that she liked my cooking.

"You're welcome," I replied and kissed her hand debonairly. She blushed a little and then wheeled back to her room. I rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. I was happy she was adjusting well to living here. I had finished with the dishes and overheard her talking on the phone likely to her family and she seemed stressed out.

"No, I'm fine. My boyfriend Seto and his brother Mokuba moved me into the mansion so they can care for me and nurse me back to health, so it's really not necessary for y'all to spend that much money and come over here," she told them. She was right, it wasn't necessary for her family to spend money to come over here. ANYTHING she needed I could easily provide with a simple phonecall or email. "No! Just stay there! I'll be over there next month for the big birthday stuff, during Spring Break. I trust Seto and Mokuba will take excellent care of me and they'll give me everything I need. This is the best way for me. I know you're concerned about me, but I'm in the best hands possible," She told them again and looked even more irritated. I was so touched that she admitted she trusted me and Mokuba that much. "I'M IN THE BEST AND MOST CAPABLE HANDS RIGHT NOW! Besides, they don't want me to leave and neither do I!" Misty retorted and hung up the phone with force. I was so happy she had stood up to her family for me and Mokuba and fought to stay here with us. We would be absolutely devastated if she had decided to go home. Yeah she'd be safe, but we'd miss her too much; it would almost be like as if she had died. She then seemed to pick up on the fact that I was there without turning her head.

"How long have you been there?" she asked.

"I heard you talking and I came to check out what was going on. I heard what you were saying," I answered and then was at her side.

"Nosy eavesdropper," she teased playfully with a smirk. I smirked back and got her out of her chair and laid her on the bed and then climbed on beside her.

"I'm honored you have such high trust in me and Mokuba to take such good care of you to stand up to your family for us," I told her with a bit of a smile.

"Well, it's the truth," she modestly responded and caressed my face. I closed my eyes enjoying the feel of her soft hand on my face. It felt so good. I couldn't resist coming closer and kissing her softly and running my fingers through her silky dark chocolate waves. I kissed every inch of her face so gently, particularly over her scars as if it would help erase them.

I was then curious about what her family had said about me. Did they not trust me? Is that why they insisted on coming to get her? "What'd your family say when you told them about me for the first time?" I asked as I pulled away and looked straight into her chocolate eyes.

"They're acting like worrywarts. Mom's worried you're dating me for sex since you're my boss and I'm just your assistant, and she's nervous that I'm after you for your money, which I seriously AM NOT, just so you know," she replied. I scoffed. Of course she wasn't after my money! It was so obvious! And seriously? Me dating her purely for sex just because she was my assistant? HA! If I wanted that I would've hired a stupid bimbo fangirl and slept with her whenever. I truly love Misty for who she is, especially since she loves me and Mokuba for who we are and would do anything to protect and help us.

"But of course, that's not true. I love you for you, I did tell you how you turn me on but you aren't ready so I'm not going to mess with the sex subject with you until you are, and I figured you didn't care about my money with the way you act around us and the way you bit my head off on Saturday about the gown," I retorted with a bit of an amused smirk at the end fondly remembering how she was on Saturday when we went shopping. I was glad she was at least able to give a half-smile at the memory. Now that I had that cleared with her about her mother's concerns, I was curious as to what her father said. Fathers and brothers were the real obstacle to dating girls and women."So, what'd your dad and your brother say?"

"My dad gave the ever-annoying "no dating until you're 30" crap, and he and my brother are eager to interrogate and intimidate you," she answered. I figured as much. Thirty. Ha…right…like I was going to wait THAT long…

"What'd you tell them?"

"That I care about y'all and y'all care about me, and they should be nice to y'all because y'all make me happy," she replied. I beamed proudly knowing we made her happy. I kissed her tenderly.

"Are they always that suspicious?" I asked once I pulled away. I guess that was a stupid question, but I wanted to know what I was going to have to deal with and how hard it would be to win them over.

"Oh yeah…" she replied heavily. That wasn't a good sign… Well, I love a challenge.

"I'm surprised they didn't react to me being rich," I replied. She gave me a look that showed how insulted she seemed to be.

"Should you be surprised? They did raise me so I was blind to wealth in relationships," she retorted. Oh…right… "They raised me to focus on forming a relationship with someone based on character merit, respect, and trust. As long as you treat me right there will be no problem."

"It just still feels so alien to me to have someone want me and Mokuba for us and not the money attached to us," I admitted. I was getting better adjusting to it, but still wasn't totally used to the idea yet.

"Believe it or not, love is stronger than and blind to money," Misty told me seriously and smiled a bit. "Can't buy me loooooovvvveeee, love," Misty sang. I couldn't resist chuckling. She was so cute. I sighed.

"You're too good to be true. I can't figure out what I did to deserve you. It would break our hearts if we lost you. When you were flatlining in the O.R. and the doctor was about to pronounce your time of death, I went crazy. I blacked out when your heart started beating again. I don't think we can handle you dying on us," I told her and hugged her gingerly.

"I love you," Misty whispered. My heart soared. I never got tired of hearing that magical phrase.

"I love you too," I whispered back. She looked happy and then sleepy. I didn't want to leave her, but she needed some rest.

"I'll let you rest," I whispered and was about to pull away from her but she stopped me.

"Stay with me at least until I fall asleep. I like being in your arms," she softly requested. I was only too happy to oblige.

"Alright," I consented. Misty smiled and gazed at me endearingly until she fell asleep. This was the happiest I felt in a long time…just holding her in my arms. I was enjoying watching her sleep so happily and peacefully and feeling her snuggle up to me. Nothing could tear me away from this beautiful angel.


	8. Tarnished

**A/N: WARNING:** This chapter contains graphic sexual content. If you do not wish to read the sexual parts, please skip over the sections with line-breaks.

I also want to give props to my dear friend Amanda for her assistance with this chapter.

* * *

~Back to My POV~

I woke up and saw Seto still asleep holding me close as gently as he could. He looked so handsome and so peaceful in his sleep. I couldn't resist smiling and watching him sleep for a few minutes until I heard the alarm clock buzzing. I heard him groan and he let me go to turn the alarm off and he sat up and rubbed his eyes. I caressed his hand resting on the bed and he turned and smiled at me sleepily. I pulled him closer with my left hand and he didn't resist. I kissed him and he eagerly kissed back running his fingers through my hair.

"Good morning," he whispered against my lips.

"Good morning," I whispered back and caressed his face.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm feeing alright, especially since you were next to me," I answered and he smiled.

"I feel the same," he replied and gave me another kiss. I smiled into his lips. When we parted he reluctantly got up and went to the restroom that was in my room and used it and washed his hands. He came back into my room and helped me into my wheelchair and into the bathroom. He left me alone and I had to admit it was a little difficult doing this myself, but I managed. I guessed I had to get used to this. I was so glad that Seto had things installed to make this easier. When I finished I washed my hands and used some handlebars to get back into my wheelchair and Seto came back in to help me out. He kissed my forehead and was reluctant to leave my side. He dragged himself out of my room and then started climbing the stairs. I wheeled into the kitchen and saw Cynthia, Seto's commander for his servants, making breakfast.

"Oh good morning Misty," she greeted with a smile.

"Good morning," I greeted back and gave her a polite smile in return. I sniffed the air and it smelled so good. The smell seemed to make my stomach growl a little. Cynthia smiled in understanding as she heard my stomach growling.

"How many pancakes would you like? How do you like your eggs?"

"Um, could I have 3 pancakes please? And could you make my eggs scrambled?" I requested.

"Certainly," she answered cheerfully. "What would you like to drink?"

"Could I have some milk please?" I requested.

"Sure. Would you like plain milk or chocolate milk?" I thought about it for a second. I hadn't had chocolate milk in a while and it was just as full of Calcium and Vitamin D as the regular milk that I was supposed to drink to help repair and strengthen my bones.

"I'd like chocolate milk please," I answered. Cynthia nodded and got out the milk and poured it for me as I took the same place at the table I had last night at dinner. Within 10 minutes she had set the food and my chocolate milk out in front of me.

"Thank you Cynthia," I told her with a smile and took a bite. "It's delicious," I complimented her and continued eating.

"Thank you," Cynthia replied with a smile and continued to cook. "So, how are you liking it here so far?"

"I love it. I'm so thankful they decided to move me in here to take care of me, and it's so well maintained." Cynthia smiled proudly at my remark.

"Thank you," Cynthia responded. "It is really nice having you here. You really seem to bring the best out of Mr. Kaiba and Mokuba. I've never seen them so happy before." I smiled a bit more.

"They make me happy too. I love them so much," I responded.

"I'm so glad," Cynthia replied and then set out the food for Seto and Mokuba. It wasn't but a few minutes when Mokuba came to the kitchen dressed and ready for school.

"Good morning Misty," Mokuba greeted me with a careful hug.

"Hey Mokuba. Good morning kiddo," I greeted with a smile. Mokuba smiled and then sat down at his place at the table.

"This looks great Cynthia, oh and good morning," Mokuba complimented her and took a bite. "Yum!" Cynthia smiled proudly as Mokuba dug into his breakfast. Cynthia and I couldn't resist chuckling at his enthusiasm while he grinned at us with his pancake mouth.

"You're enthusiastic this morning," Cynthia observed. Mokuba swallowed his mouthful of pancakes with a swig of chocolate milk and paused a moment before speaking.

"I'm just glad Misty's here with us," Mokuba explained. "How do you like living with me and Seto so far?" he asked eagerly.

"I'm loving it." Mokuba beamed happily.

"Loving what?" Seto asked as he appeared in the kitchen. I picked up a deliciously sexy scent on him and he looked great in his suit. "Good morning Cynthia, Misty, and Mokuba," he greeted and then sat down with us and was waiting for the answer to his question.

"I was just telling Mokuba how I'm loving staying here with y'all," I answered. Seto smiled just a little.

"Good, I'm glad," he replied and took a bite. "Great job Cynthia. Thank you for making breakfast."

"You're welcome," she replied and then got a plate for herself and left us alone to eat our breakfast. I thought about asking her to join us, but she seemed like she didn't want to intrude on us. We ate quietly for a little bit before we decided to have any conversation.

"I don't want to go to class and work…" Seto said aloud with a heavy sigh.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I'd rather stay here with you, but duty calls…"

"I wish I could stay here with you too," Mokuba chimed in.

"I wish it too. It would definitely help pass the time spending it with y'all, but I don't want y'all to miss any more days than y'all have already," I replied. They sighed heavily.

"Yeah…" they agreed.

"I'm not looking forward to the intense workload either," Seto added. I wished I could help, but I knew exactly what he'd say- "No! I want you to focus on getting better. I can handle this for now."

"I'll bet. I wish I could help you…" I replied. Watch him say it in 3, 2, 1…

"No! I want you to focus on getting better. I can handle this for now." Yep. I knew it. "Besides, it'll be worth it to see you when we get home." I wasn't expecting that, but it made me smile.

"Yeah!" Mokuba agreed.

"Just remember to take small bites out of the work and pace yourselves," I reminded them.

"We will," they promised in sync.

"So what are you going to do today Misty?" Mokuba asked.

"Whatever I feel like, Gosh!" I answered and imitated Napoleon Dynamite hoping to make them laugh a little; it worked- both of them chuckled a little. "But seriously, I don't know…anything to help pass the time. I suppose I'll pester the staff and Cynthia," I added in a kidding tone.

"And perhaps you'll pester your nurse Sally," Seto added lightheartedly. Mokuba chuckled a little.

"Maybe," I replied curiously.

"She should be coming soon," Seto replied. As soon as he said that, the doorbell rang and Cynthia answered it and brought a kindly brunette woman in her early to mid 30s into the kitchen.

"Hello Sally," Seto greeted in his signature calm, cool, businessy voice.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba," Sally greeted back politely and then looked at me and offered a friendly smile. "Hello Misty. I'm Sally, your personal nurse," she introduced herself and then shook my good hand.

"Nice to meet you Sally," I replied.

"Please let me know if there's anything you need and I'll do or get it for you," Sally told me.

"And you may also ask my head of staff Cynthia for assistance," Seto told her. Sally nodded in understanding.

"Will do. I will take good care of her," Sally promised. Seto looked her over assessing her words and seemed to approve. Sally looked a little uncomfortable under his scrutinizing eyes. I couldn't blame her.

"Well, time for us to get to school," Seto said to break the awkward silence and then kissed my forehead and my lips. "See you later," he told me. Mokuba gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"See you tonight Misty," Mokuba chimed and followed Seto to the limo. Once we heard the limo leave, Sally relaxed a little.

"He makes me nervous," Sally admitted.

"Yeah, he does that…" I agreed and remembered how harsh he was when I first started working for him. "Well enough about him, let's get to know each other better," I suggested. Sally smiled.

"Good idea," she agreed. I told her a few things about me, basically about where I was from, what I liked to do, a little bit about my family, and my aspirations. I learned she was married and had 3 kids aged 5-9, had 10 years of nursing experience, and what she liked to do. I could tell she was curious about how I ended up with him.

"Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but…" Sally began. I was waiting for it. "…how did you end up as Mr. Kaiba's girlfriend?"

"Well, he hired me as his assistant, he liked the way I was so straightforward, how I got my work done, and how I showed how I was the only one who cared about both of him and Mokuba." Sally nodded in understanding. It was frustrating how nobody could seem to understand that he was capable of loving someone. He is human after all. Sally seemed to be satisfied with my answer and hadn't mentioned the subject again.

We spent the day figuring out ways to keep myself busy, she administered my medications when I needed them, helped me to the bathroom, helped Cynthia get food ready for me, and helped bathe me and dress me into some fresh clothes. She was very sociable and amiable and I liked her. She would be a good friend. We hung out until Seto and Mokuba got home at around 7:00 p.m.

"Hey! There are my guys!" I greeted glad to see them.

"Hey Misty…" they greeted tiredly. They seemed a little crabby, but they came up to me and gave me a gentle hug.

"Bad day?" I asked sympathetically.

"Just long and tiring," Seto replied. Mokuba nodded in agreement. Seto then turned to Sally. "Did everything go alright today?"

"Yes sir Mr. Kaiba. We got to know each other mostly and everything went smoothly."

"Good, good," Seto replied. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow then. Have a safe trip home," he added.

"Yes sir. See you tomorrow Misty!" Sally called out to me with a smile and then left. I looked up at Seto, and then pulled him down to my level with my left hand so I could kiss him. He seemed to relax into the kiss and caressed my face. Mokuba smiled a little bit as he watched. Seto smiled a bit as he pulled away a bit later.

"Thank you. That really helped," he told me and gave me another peck.

"Good, it better have," I teased lightly and earned another small smile from him. I turned to Mokuba to give him some love. "Mokuba come here," I instructed and waved him to come to me.

"Yes Misty?" Mokuba asked tiredly as he came closer. Poor thing. I opened up my good arm up to him and invited him for a hug. He smiled and came closer and I gave him as big a hug I could manage and gave him playful pecks all over his face.

"Stop Misty!" Mokuba said while laughing and squirming to get away, earning a chuckle from his big brother. I stopped a moment later.

"There's a smile," I told him with a smile of my own. "Cynthia's almost done with dinner and y'all can tell me all about y'all's day," I suggested.

"Alright," they agreed and plopped down on the couch. They were fairly quiet but I think they were just taking a moment just to calm down and relax. Seto then helped me out of my wheelchair and had me sit between him and Mokuba. It was nice sitting and relaxing with them. Seto wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer and I rested my head on his shoulder. He seemed to relax even more and kissed the top of my head.

"We missed you," Seto said softly.

"Yeah! It wasn't the same without you there," Mokuba chimed in.

"I know. I wish I could've been there too," I replied. "But at least we get to spend time together now, and perhaps after dinner we can do homework together like we used to," I offered. That seemed to brighten up their moods a little.

"Alright," they agreed. About 15 minutes later, Cynthia had set the table for us with dinner and called us to the table. Seto helped me back into my wheelchair and we went to the table. The delicious smells were wafting all over the kitchen.

"Thank you Cynthia, it looks fantastic," I complimented her and earned a smile from her. Seto and Mokuba said a quick thank you too.

"You're welcome," Cynthia replied with a smile, and went to take her meal in the next room.

"We should invite her to join us," I suggested.

"It's alright, she and the rest of the staff have their own dining room, and they prefer to let me, Mokuba, and now you eat in peace together as a family," Seto replied to appease me.

"Oh," I replied unsure of what else to say. Wow, he actually called me family. That was pretty big.

"_Awwww…" my inner self gushed. _

"So, tell me about y'all's day," I prompted and started to eat the delicious dinner Cynthia had made for us. "How was school? What happened at work?"

"Well school was kind of uneventful, except for English," Mokuba began.

"Oh? What's going on with English?" I asked my curiosity piqued.

"I'll show you after dinner," Mokuba replied and had a sort of excited look in his grey eyes.

"Promise?" I asked even more intrigued.

"Promise," Mokuba swore with a grin. I smiled back at him.

"How about you Seto, how was class and work?"

"Stressful…I have class projects to do and I had so much work backed up from the last few days…and I had another crisis we had to clean up and fix. I seriously had to test my anger management skills I'm learning…" Seto replied stoically and continued eating. When he swallowed he looked at me and smiled. "But the kiss you gave me when we came home really helped. I could seriously get used to that."

"You absolutely should get used to that," I agreed with a smile. Seto smiled wider.

"I definitely have something to look forward to," Seto replied. Mokuba rolled his eyes a little.

"Get a room," Mokuba teased.

"If I recall mister, YOU were the one who pushed us together in the first place," I retorted with a smirk. "So that means you have to get used to me showing Seto affection in front of you, including kissing, hugging, and more." To prove my point, I pulled Seto in for a big kiss. Mokuba gave us a good natured smirk.

"Alright, alright, I suppose I deserved that," Mokuba replied.

"Yep. You have to live with the success of us ending up together," I added with a grin and a giggle.

"Yeah Mokuba," Seto chimed in agreement and held me close and kissed the top of my head and then let me go so we could eat.

"Okay, okay, I got the point," Mokuba replied with a bit of chuckle and continued eating. We finished dinner and Seto gathered the dishes and rinsed them for Cynthia. When we had gotten to the stairs, Seto had taken me out of my wheelchair and then sat me down on the chair lift and then pressed a button. In a few seconds, the chair lift started carrying me upstairs while Seto and Mokuba compacted my wheelchair and then started carrying it up. I felt a little like an old woman, but at least I could be with them while they worked on their homework and projects and could help them. I waited at the top of the stairs and they joined me about a minute or two later, set my wheelchair back up, put me in, and led me to Seto's home office. I had to admit I was impressed with the décor here, and it gave me an idea for a…ahem, fantasy. Wow, that was weird…why was I so interested in fantasizing? Very odd indeed.

"_Nothing wrong with fantasizing, and who knows you could do actually enact it later," my inner self told me with a smirk. I gave her a mental eye roll._

Seto and Mokuba got situated and readied themselves to work on their work. Mokuba then got out a stack of papers from his organizer and his grey eyes lit up excitedly as he handed the stack to me. I took it from him and read it and smiled. In my hands was a report he'd done on me being the best thing that ever happened to them and that how he and Seto couldn't bear the thought of me leaving them. He also wrote that he can't wait for me to join their family. Wow…I was so touched he'd written all that about me.

"Thank you Mokuba. That was the sweetest thing I'd ever read," I told him and motioned him to come over and give me a hug. He obligingly stepped forward and hugged me on my left side for a long moment. Seto smiled at the scene and even snapped a picture. We looked up in surprise as he looked at the picture on the screen and showed it to us. Both Mokuba and I smiled widely at the adorable picture.

"That's a keeper," Seto remarked.

"I'll say," I agreed. Mokuba then took the camera and Seto scooped me out of my wheelchair and sat me on the couch and sat beside me. He held me close against his body and kissed my forehead as I glanced up at him endearingly and saw the flash. Mokuba surely picked a good moment. He grinned.

"Wow! That's a great one! Definitely a keeper!" We looked at it and smiled. He was right- that was one to definitely keep to show how we loved each other. I gave Seto a peck and he smiled. This was a happy moment.

"I suppose we should get some work done," Seto said awkwardly.

"Yeah…" we agreed and got started working on homework and projects together.

Later…

"Thanks for your help Misty!" they both told me and gave me a quick hug.

"You're very welcome guys. I'm glad I could help," I said with a smile. "So, how should we unwind and relax?" I asked.

"Well, maybe we can watch a movie?" Seto suggested.

"That's a fantastic idea! I think an Adam Sandler movie would help us unwind," I replied and smiled; Adam Sandler movies could easily chase the blues away. Seto and Mokuba looked at me blankly.

"Okay…" Seto replied unsure of what else to say. I started wheeling out of the office and went to the stairs. Seto and Mokuba put me back on the chair lift and sent me downstairs while compacting and carrying my wheelchair down. If they were going to be compacting and carrying my wheelchair up and down the stairs every night while I was like this, then they'd surely get a bit more beefed up. I inwardly smirked at the thought of Seto getting a bit more beefed up than he was right now. Don't get me wrong, I thought he was freakin' sexy the way he was right now, but the muscles would just ramp it up. My inner self was smirking at me. What is it with the sexy thoughts right now? I pushed it out of my head and watched as they set up my wheelchair again and put me in. I rolled to my room and got out my small Adam Sandler collection of movies and met them in the living room.

"Alright, so which movie should we watch? I've got Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, 50 First Dates, and the Wedding Singer."

"You choose Misty," Mokuba suggested. Hmm…decisions, decisions…they all sounded good to watch. I randomly picked one of them and chose Wedding Singer. I smiled. This one was definitely one of my favorites, and it would help me show Seto how it really was possible for love to be stronger than money. Mokuba put it in the DVD player while Seto picked me up out of the chair and sat me next to him on the couch and even wrapped his arms around me.

"Y'all will love this movie," I declared. "It's one of my all-time favorites. I never get tired of watching this. And Seto you should pay close attention to the movie," I added.

"Oh? Why?" Seto asked curiously.

"Oh, you'll see," I replied with a smile. Mokuba pressed play and sat with us. Ah, this was so perfect- my two guys watching my favorite movie with me.

I noticed Seto was watching the movie intensely, and I noticed he really disliked Glen from the movie. Wow…I never thought he'd get so worked up like that. On the bright side, he really seemed to enjoy everything else.

I was surprised at the end of the movie when Robbie and Julia kissed, Seto had pulled me into a deep kiss of our own. Wow…

"That was a good movie," Mokuba remarked with a smile.

"Yes it is," I agreed and mirrored his smile.

"I hated Glen…" Seto remarked.

"Me too," I agreed.

"He was such an ass! He also kind of reminded me of me before I met you… I see why you wanted me to watch it closely…as a warning." Seto explained. My eyes widened a little at his explanation. I couldn't believe he said that.

"Um, honey, I wanted you to watch it because it shows that love is stronger than money in relationships…" I explained. Seto looked at me surprised. "And I can't believe you compared yourself to Glen," I added.

"But I was like him…" Seto replied.

"WAS, that's the key word," I replied.

"Yeah Seto, you're not like Glen," Mokuba agreed.

"Mokuba's right. You're not like him. You at least care about someone other than yourself. You care so much about me and Mokuba, and your loyal staff," I explained. "In the movie, Glen was a selfish bastard who only looked out for his own interests. He didn't even care about Julia, his own fiancée, particularly when he told her he didn't want her to throw up in his car because 'it'll stink for a week.' He even cheated on her all the time, wouldn't let her have the window seat, was marrying her because he 'owed it to her to get married', and was trying to make her give up her hopes and dreams of a perfect wedding by going to Vegas. YOU on the other hand, get worried about us when we're sick or hurt…" I noticed when I had said hurt he shuddered as if a fresh wave of guilt washed over him about my injuries. "…You love us, want what's best for us, and would do anything to make us happy. Granted you don't really have anyone else besides us and your loyal staff, but everyone else doesn't know you're capable of caring. You're just very guarded," I explained. "I wanted you to see that money doesn't really matter when it comes to truly happy relationships like Robbie and Julia's. I want us to be as happy as they are." Seto thought about that and he smiled just a little bit and squeezed me close to him. I turned my head and kissed him softly and he eagerly kissed back and ran his fingers through my hair and caressed my face. He parted from my lips and gazed at me with those gorgeous sapphires.

"You're so sweet," he told me softly. I smiled at him and hugged him. He lingered in my embrace for a few minutes and then looked at the time.

"I suppose it's time for us to get to bed," Seto announced and put me back into my wheelchair.

"Alright," Mokuba agreed nonchalantly. "Good night Seto, Good night Misty," Mokuba bade and gave us both a hug, kissed my cheek, and then Seto ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Good night Mokuba," Seto and I bade and watched as he went upstairs. Seto lingered by my side a moment.

"Good night Seto," I bade as he pulled away from me.

"Hang on Misty, I'll be right back. I just need to get changed and then get some fresh clothes for tomorrow," Seto replied and then quickly climbed the stairs. I went to my room to wait for him and a few minutes later he came to my room wearing some pajama pants and was bare-chested. Mmmm…damn he looked so sexy! I saw him smirking as I ogled his body and then he nonchalantly hung his outfit near the bathroom. He then came over to me, got me out of my wheelchair, gently laid me on the bed, and then climbed in beside me. He gently wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I nuzzled as close as I could and rested my head on his bare chest, savoring his masculine scent. It didn't take me long to fall asleep; his heartbeat and his fingers through my hair and down my back lulled me to sleep. My dreams were weird…I kept having sexy dreams about me and him…Jeez! What was up with all the sexy thoughts and dreams? I hadn't minded, but it seemed to be happening a lot lately.

Morning came and he and I woke up together at the sound of the alarm and we greeted each other with a sweet good morning kiss before he got up and went to use the restroom. He came out for a moment to give me a turn to use the bathroom. I was getting a little better at using the restroom on my own with my busted limbs being so cumbersome. When I came out, he went back in to shower while I went to the breakfast table to eat another one of Cynthia's delicious meals with Mokuba, and later Seto once he came out of my room freshly showered and dressed. Of course, they complained about having to have to go to work and school and would rather be with me, but I shook it off. We finished breakfast and then Sally came and Seto and Mokuba left. It was kind of the same routine as yesterday, only we got to know each other better today. Once again, at about 7:00 p.m. Seto and Mokuba came home tired, and of course, I felt bad that they were under so much stress. I kissed Seto like I promised I would, and he seemed to relax a bit more. I could tell he was really looking forward to the kiss the way he so hungrily responded to me. We ate dinner together, worked on homework and projects, and unwound with Mr. Deeds tonight. When it was bed time, Seto eagerly returned to my room to join me in bed wearing just those pajama pants.

It was more or less the same thing everyday for a week, but I started to notice that he and Mokuba were a lot more tired and grew crabbier with each passing day. Sure, my kisses and hugs helped a little, but they were still stressed and crabby. It was also weird that each day, my hormones had ramped up my libido and were often planting sexy thoughts in my head about Seto.

That night, after Mokuba had gone up to bed, Seto seemed really cranky and tired and yet still had so much work to do. Instead of joining me in bed tonight, he went upstairs into his office again. I read one of my romance novels to help pass the time. That was a big mistake…all it did was make me feel really horny. It got so bad, my libido had snapped on me and demanded satisfaction.

I got out some stuff for a sponge bath, laid a towel on my bed, and hoisted myself with my good arm onto the bed. I picked up my cellphone and sent Seto a text message.

"Come to my room," I commanded him.

"Misty, I'm sorry, but I've got so much work I have to work on and hopefully finish before the end of the night," he texted back.

"Save your work and get down here," I replied. There was a few minutes pause when he showed up in my doorway looking very peeved.

"Yes Misty? What is it?" He snapped.

"Close the door and lock it," I ordered. He looked at me curiously, but did as I said. I waggled my finger in a come hither motion. He hesitated but obeyed.

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read sexual content_

* * *

"Well? What's going on?" He demanded irritably as he came closer.

"I'm feeling dirty…I need a sponge bath," I said softly and huskily.

"Can you…wait until Sally comes…tomorrow?" He asked hesitantly.

"No…I'm feeling dirty…and sticky…now…I…want…you to give me a sponge bath…" I replied seductively. He stared at me wide-eyed and in shock.

"_Can you blame him?" My inner self asked. _

"_Quiet you!" I commanded and pushed her away. _

"Are…are you sure?" He asked. He could barely contain his excitement.

"Yes. I want you to sponge bathe me," I replied.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as he pinched himself. "Misty, I'll ask you one more time…Are…you…absolutely and positively sure… you want this?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed almost urgently. He immediately started getting the bucket filled with water and got a fragrant soap and washcloth to use on me. He grabbed an extra towel from the bathroom and then put it aside for later. He sat me up and was about to strip my clothes off of me when I stopped him.

"Misty! You just said you were sure about this!" He complained.

"I am, but there's something I want you to do," I told him.

"Yeah? What is it?" Seto demanded impatiently. I brought him closer so I could whisper in his ear.

"I want you to be naked while you sponge bathe me," I whispered. His jaw dropped a second in shock and of course I tapped it. "You'll catch flies," I reminded him. Suddenly, his face broke into a grin and he kissed me so eagerly. When he pulled away, he immediately started unbuttoning his buttons as quickly as he could and within 2 minutes he stood in front of me completely naked and his penis was fully erect. Oh what a glorious member he had…it looked thick and was about 7 inches long and was quivering.

"L-l-like…it?" He asked nervously as he noticed I was staring at it.

"It's perfect," I replied. Seto smiled and kissed me and then deftly removed my clothes and I was lying naked on the towel on the bed. He was practically drooling as he hungrily stared at my body.

"Oh Misty…you're so beautiful…" he breathed and then started to lather up the washcloth with the soap and water. He rubbed the washcloth down my neck, down my arms and on my hands. He gingerly turned me on my left side and then washed down my neck and over my shoulders and back all the way down to my butt. He rubbed the soap firmly into my butt and then washed my thighs and down my legs all the way to my toes. He turned me back onto my back and then started washing my breasts. He squeezed and fondled my breasts through the washcloth, and even played with my nipples. I moaned in pleasure and he moaned and stiffened a little in response. He took great care to avoid the casts on my right side. He slowly went down my stomach, over my hips, and then to tease me down my legs and back up very slowly to my lady parts. He circled the wash cloth all over my pubic mound and against my clit. Oh God! I gripped the sheets as he teased my clit a bit roughly and bucked to his hand. I heard his breathing quicken and then he had to stop. I groaned. Why did he have to stop?

"H-hang on…G-give…m-me a moment…" he requested and then was on all fours on the bed trying to give himself a moment to calm down. Good thing he was finished washing me…now for the real fun to begin. He was panting heavily and was so obviously turned on by my sponge bath. I pulled him close for a deep kiss and he straddled me and kissed me hard. He ground his hard member against my pubic mound, but I wasn't ready for him to fill me just yet. I pulled away a moment.

"Seto, lie on the bed…I want to explore you," I whispered. He smiled and then lay back while I sat up. I let my fingers gently and slowly caress his pecs, his shoulders, his neck, and his abs. I circled my fingers gently around his nipples and flared my hand over his chest. I lightly scratched down his abs and I felt him stiffen in pleasure. I stroked on his cut lines that came from his hips to a point near that beautiful penis of his and felt him buck a little. To tease him, I rubbed down his thighs and over his legs to his feet. I came back up his legs and I heard him draw a sharp breath and then release it with a groan when I completely bypassed it and turned him facedown. I scratched down his back and down his arms and he started to get restless. He got even more restless when I squeezed his beautifully cushioned ass. I figured it was time to give him what he wanted; he was practically panting for it. I turned him back onto his back and then let my hand skim down his abs to his throbbing penis. He gasped as I gently squeezed and played with every inch of it and he was moaning and bucking eagerly. He hissed and gripped the sheets in a death grip when I gently pressed his perineum, the small thatch of skin between his anus and his balls.

"OH GOD MISTY! DON'T TEASE ME! OH GOD! I NEED YOU!" Seto cried out and was doing his best to breathe deeply to calm himself down. I came closer to his ear and whispered.

"Fill me…but be gentle." Seto didn't need to be told twice. He sprang up from the bed and then hung over me eagerly. He kissed me hard and pressed his rock-hard penis against my pubic mound and looked into my eyes with his eager sapphire eyes.

"Are…y-you…ready?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. He smiled delighted and then positioned himself and then gently pushed in. I hissed and gripped his back in pain as I felt my hymen break. I clenched my teeth.

"Misty! I'm sorry! Are you in pain? Do you want me to stop?" Seto asked frantically.

"No! Don't…stop…just…let me get…used to you…" I replied through my teeth. "Just…hold on…" I added. Seto didn't move for a moment as my vagina got used to the feel of his penis in me and the pain faded away. He gripped the sheets to stave off his eagerness.

"Okay, continue," I told him softly. He kissed me and then plunged himself deep into me as gently as he could. We both gasped when he pulled back and thrusted deeply again; the friction felt soooo good! I grabbed one of his hands and put it at my pubic mound and put his fingers at my clit and showed him how to stimulate me. He eagerly took over and rubbed my clit vigorously and thrusted deeply. I closed my eyes and moaned and bucked into him as best I could. Oh God! This was divine! I opened my eyes again and smiled up at him as I enjoyed it.

All the stimulation and the deep thrusting were bringing me closer and closer to the edge. Just a little more and then… "Oh God! Seto! I'm gonna cum!"

"Hang on! Almost…there!" Seto replied as he was thrusting deeper and faster. I moaned and maneuvered my hand to find his perineum and pressed. Seto moaned loudly and then his release exploded inside of me as mine clamped down on him and I gave a loud gasp. He lay next to me and we were both panting. He held me close and kissed me deeply, pouring all his love and happiness into the kiss. He pulled away to breathe and gazed at me smiling. I smiled back and caressed his face tenderly. He pulled me closer and I rested my head on his chest. I groaned as the aches and pain started to catch up to me.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Seto asked concerned.

"Need…my pain…meds…" I groaned. Seto got up from my bed, got a cup of water and my pain meds from the bathroom and brought them to me. I swallowed the pills and drank the water and waited for them to kick in. I pat the bed for Seto to come back and join me and he immediately climbed back into bed with me. I immediately resumed my position resting on his chest and he kissed my forehead and started running his fingers through my hair.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I replied.

"Thank you," he whispered and gave me another kiss. I smiled in response and nuzzled closer.

"You're welcome," I whispered against his skin and started feeling drowsy. "Good night, my love," I bade and fell asleep against him.

* * *

_End of sexual content_

As I slept, I was plagued by nightmares.

_I was wearing a white dress and was glowing brightly, and was in the crossway of 2 gold rings. The rings then shattered around me and as they shattered, my dress was no longer pure white, but like a dark grey. _

"_You broke your vow…" I heard a deep, disembodied voice boom. "You vowed to wait until your wedding night…" I felt guilty as I was floating in a memory watching my 13 year-old self formally making the vow to stay pure until my wedding night, in the church, surrounded by my family and other girls making that same vow to their families, to God, and themselves. I watched as my parents put the silver crossed heart ring on my finger that I had lost when I was 15 when it had slipped off my finger. I saw the ring disappearing like dust in the wind and then the whole memory disappeared and left me alone in the dark grey dress. The nightmare turned worse when Seto had a satisfied smirk on his face and he left me, as if he wanted me only for sex and then was leaving me. After he'd left, I found myself among a bunch of random guys who were surrounding me with lust in their eyes. They were closing in. I tried to escape, but they weren't going to let me get away without getting a piece of me. They all reached out their hands to grab me and take me, and then I heard a voice. _

"_Misty! Wake up! Wake up!" I felt a shake and the dream faded away. _I gasped as I awoke and saw that I was in my room at Seto's mansion and we were both naked. Seto looked into my eyes worriedly and hugged me.

"Misty, you were having a nightmare," he told me softly and caressed my back soothingly. "It's alright, I'm here, I'm here." I hugged him closer burying my face into his chest and started to cry.

"Misty? What's wrong?" Seto asked concerned. "Was it your nightmare?" I nodded into his chest. "Was it a premonition?" I shook my head. "What is then?"

"I…broke…my vow…" I explained between tears.

"What vow?" He asked gingerly.

"I…vowed…when I was 13…to…wait…until…m-my…w-wedding night…to have sex…I …vowed it…t-to m-my parents…God…and myself…I can't believe…I let myself…be…so overcome…by lust…to break my vow…I thought I was stronger…than that…" I replied brokenly.

"Oh Misty…I'm so sorry…" he apologized and held me close.

"It's my fault…" I said sadly and glumly. I had to accept the consequences of my choice.

"It's partly my fault…I should've known better…"Seto said as he tried to help me feel better.

"It's not your fault…it's mine…" I insisted.

"I'm still so sorry…we can't do anything to take it back, but I'd do anything to make you feel better. We can make a new vow right now between you and me. We can vow to wait or anything you want," Seto told me. I smiled ruefully for a second. He was so sweet.

"I don't want to make a vow right now because I don't even know what kind of vow I should make, and I just ruined the last one I made…I…I just need…some time to figure all this out…" I told him and was trying to work this out within myself. I felt so horrible. I rarely broke a promise, so this was really hurting me. Worse, what if Seto saw me and treated me differently?

"_Relax. He won't see you differently. If anything, he's equally upset as you are. He wants you to be happy with him and would do anything to help," my inner self reasoned. "He loves you, is happy being with you, it's been written upstairs that you were destined to be with him, and the physical chemistry was so obvious. What do you have to worry about?" My inner self asked. I was still getting frustrated with this issue. _I felt Seto hold me close.

"Take all the time you need, but remember I'm here for you," Seto whispered as he kissed my forehead tenderly and hugged me. He ran his fingers through my hair and rested his head on top of mine. I burrowed closer into his arms accepting his comfort silently. I felt so different, like a part of me was changed forever.

"_It's not that bad. Sure, you're not a virgin anymore, but at least he's willing to make a vow to wait until you're ready again, right?" my inner self asked. True, he was. "And you love him, and he loves you, so how will it be different?"_

"_It just feels different and kind of alien to me. Sure I've thought about sex with him, but actually to have done it, it just feels different to me."_

"_Is that a good thing?"_

"_I really don't know right now…give me a chance to figure it out," I replied. _

"_Fair enough. I'll talk to you later then," my inner self told me._

"_Bye," we bade and she left me alone. _

He rubbed my arms soothingly and kissed my forehead.

"Misty, I know you're upset, but I want you to know my feelings for you have not and will not change. You're still the same beautiful, fiery woman I fell madly in love with." Seto told me. I smiled a little bit at his words and felt a little better. "Misty, I love you sweetie. I will always love you," he whispered and held my face in his hands. I smiled a little bit more and cuddled closer into his body. I was surprised…I don't recall him calling me sweetie before, but I didn't care.

"I love you too," I told him. He smiled softly at me.

"Alright my love, let's get back to sleep. Wake me if you have any more bad dreams, alright?" Seto asked tenderly and gave me a soft kiss.

"It might be better if you wake me if you can tell I'm in a bad dream. I might not be able to escape so easily…" I replied.

"I will rescue you my love," he promised. I smiled a little and curled closer to him and let sleep pull me under again. I felt his arms tighten around me and hold me close to his body. I felt better, but I was still feeling confused.

_I dreamed I was in the middle of a thick forest and I had come to a crossroads. The crossroads signpost was unreadable, and I was feeling lost. Which way was I supposed to go? I sighed as I sat down on a rock and tried to figure out which path to take. I could hear Seto's words echoing in my head about how his feelings for me will never change and he will always love me. I felt myself melting a little at his sentimental words. He made me feel reassured even though I had broken a sacred vow. At the reminder of my broken vow, I felt uncomfortable. _

"_It's alright you know," I heard St. Peter's voice say aloud. I jumped a little in surprise."Relax," he told me gently. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I came to help you," he added. I relaxed a little bit and looked around for him. I saw him behind me and I turned to listen to him. _

"_I'm not sure what to make of this…" I admitted. _

"_We in Heaven are aware of your vow, and we applaud you for sticking to it so closely and being so committed to it even now, but I want you to remember well what I'm about to tell you: 1) You and Seto Kaiba were supposed to be together 2) God ensured the physical chemistry between you and him and practically presented you to him like He presented Eve to Adam 3) God loves His children so much He gave them FREE WILL to choose however they please. We all know this is the 21__st__ century and that people are having premarital sex, and it's okay if you're monogamous and are planning to marry your monogamous partner. Did you know in the Puritan days that couples were allowed to have premarital sex as long as they married that particular person? Though it is a lot more special if you wait. And plus, your choice to make love to Seto Kaiba kind of jumpstarted your work with him. Get crackin' on the rest of the work you have to do with him."_

"_Wait, what kind of work do I have with him?" I asked. I was dying to know._

"_I can't tell you. You have to figure that out on your own, but think about it…what are your plans for your future, aside from a career?" I then felt myself rushing down a path and into a bright light. I woke up and it was morning._ I forced myself to remember what St. Peter had said and saved it away in my memory to ponder later. I saw Seto still asleep and still holding me close to his body. I smiled as I watched him sleeping. I could never get over how peaceful he looked. He opened his eyes and smiled a bit when he saw me.

"Good morning," I greeted softly and mirrored his smile.

"Good morning," he echoed and kissed me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a bit better," I replied and noticed how tightly he was holding me and I smiled a little bit more. "Feeling possessive this morning?" I asked lightly. Seto smirked in return.

"No," he answered. Uh-huh…

"You're holding me quite possessively," I pointed out then whispered, "but then again I like how you hold me." Seto's grin widened a little.

"Then I'm never letting you go," he replied. I smiled a little more and kissed him and he kissed back.

"Thank you," I told him softly as we parted to breathe.

"For?" he asked curiously.

"Helping me feel better. Your words really helped,"

"That was my goal sweetheart," he replied and caressed my face. I smiled and kissed him once more and sighed.

"I wish we didn't have to get up to face the rest of the day apart," I said ruefully.

"I know sweetheart, but I'll be back later and I'll be all yours," Seto promised.

"I'll hold you to that. I'll miss you. I bet you'll go crazy and want to come home," I wagered.

"You'd win that bet," Seto assured me, kissed my forehead and then got up to go to my bathroom. I watched his sexy, naked body retreat into the bathroom and waited for him to finish so I could have my turn. When he came out, he picked me up and carried me into the bathroom and helped me get situated.

"Let me know when you're done. I'll pick you up again," he instructed and then went to wait on the bed. I used the bathroom and washed my hands.

"I'm ready," I called out to Seto. Immediately he was back in the bathroom and he scooped me up and carried me back to the bed. He helped dress me so I was decent enough to go eat breakfast. He put me back in the wheelchair, kissed my forehead, and I watched him return to the bathroom. I rolled out to the kitchen and saw Cynthia making breakfast again.

We greeted each other and she put my breakfast in front of me. Of course I complimented her on her cooking, but I was kind of spaced out this morning thinking about that last dream with St. Peter's wisdom.

"Hey Misty! Good Morning!" Mokuba startled me. I jumped a little bit in surprise. Mokuba looked concerned. "Misty? Are you okay?"

"I'm alright Mokuba, I'm just puzzling over a dream from last night," I explained. Well, it was the truth.

"What was it about?" Yeah, I wasn't going to tell him about it…he didn't need to hear about what happened last night.

"I don't want to talk about it Mokuba," I replied honestly and pat his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about me. You just worry about having a good day, okay?" I added with a cheerier smile.

"Okay," Mokuba replied skeptically and continued to eat his breakfast. Seto joined us a little while later as usual and we had our normal breakfast conversations until Sally came and they left. I noticed that Seto gave me a more tender kiss than usual, but it was still sweet all the same.

"So, how are you doing this morning Misty?" Sally asked as she helped Cynthia clean up.

"I'm confused," I admitted. This piqued their interest and they stopped washing dishes.

"Oh?" they asked. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell y'all as long as y'all promise it will not leave this kitchen," I replied. They looked at me curiously.

"Okay," they agreed but were listening. I took a deep breath.

"I'm confused because last night I broke a sacred vow I'd made years ago…I…made…love…with…Seto…and I was saving that for…my wedding night…" I admitted. "I'm confused because I broke my vow and I'm getting messages that it's okay I did, and I'm not sure what to do…and how I can accept this…Any advice?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, it is bad you broke a sacred promise, but then again, what people do with their lovers is their business. You have the freedom to choose what you want to do; it is the 21st century after all and things are a bit more liberal, especially when it comes to sexuality," Cynthia began.

"Right, right," I agreed.

"Did it feel right to you to make that choice?" Sally asked.

"Well, I felt happy and connected to him after it," I admitted.

"Natural feelings," Sally replied.

"But what she's asking is deep down in your heart, do you regret making love to Mr. Kaiba?" Cynthia asked. I thought about it. Aside from my guilt-trip dreams that brought on this whole confusion, I felt happy I had made love to him. I had never had such desire to make love to anybody as I had with Seto; it was so consuming.

"No, I don't regret making love to Seto," I declared. They smiled. "It was the most amazing feeling I'd ever had before. It was like perfect harmony. But afterwards I had the confusing dreams and he was so sweet and understanding as I talked to him about why they had upset me. He even offered to make a new vow with me. He wanted to do anything to help me feel better," I explained.

"That's true love," they both replied. I couldn't help smiling a bit and their smiles widened a little.

"I suppose. I also had a dream that St. Peter told me it was okay if he and I made love if we chose to and that Seto and I were supposed to be together, and God created all the chemistry we had." I added.

"So what's the problem then?" Sally asked.

"I broke a sacred vow," I repeated.

"But it shouldn't be a problem. You had St. Peter's blessing to go ahead and have sex if you wanted to. Plus, you felt happy to have made love to him, so there shouldn't really be any qualms about it," Cynthia replied. Cynthia and Sally were right; there was nothing wrong with me making love to Seto if I wanted to, and since I guess I had Heaven's okay to have sex, I supposed I shouldn't worry, especially if we were both happy. Besides, St. Peter and Cynthia were right; it was the 21st century and plenty of women had premarital sex. There was proof of that everywhere, particularly in Cosmo, my favorite magazine; however, I wasn't going to be casual about sex; the only person I was ever going to be having sex with is Seto.

"_Wait a minute, don't you think it's a little soon to be having sex with him?" my inner self asked. "I mean you've only known him a month and haven't been dating but 2 weeks yet," she pointed out. Oh damn…she was right…it was a bit soon. _

"Um, Sally? Cynthia? How soon is too soon to start having sex with someone?"

"Whenever it feels right, but never after the first date and never under the age of 18 and when you can't accept the consequences," Sally advised me.

"She's right, you have it when you feel ready to and can accept the consequences," Cynthia agreed. I smiled as I realized I wasn't going to be damned for choosing to make love to Seto this soon.

"And if you're still feeling guilty about having sex and for breaking your vow, you could ask God for forgiveness," Sally reminded me. Right! I smiled and was feeling immensely better after having that conversation with Sally and Cynthia.

"Thank you ladies, you've helped me feel so much better," I told them and gave them a hug.

"You're welcome Misty," they replied and hugged me back. "No more worries?" I shook my head with a smile and then went to my room. I closed my eyes and began to pray.

"Please God, forgive me for breaking my sacred vow to wait until marriage to have sex," I spoke from the heart. "Please free me from that burden," I added. A bit later, I felt a huge weight disappear and I smiled. I was free and felt purified. I couldn't wait for Seto to come home so he could see me so happy and guilt-free.

Later, when Sally had bathed me and dressed me, I had her spritz the body splash that my girlfriends had given me on me and do my hair nicely; I wanted to look pretty for him. We killed time and finally 7:00 came by and they both came home and Sally left. Of course they were tired but they were both more affectionate and sympathetic to me tonight. They hugged me close and I hugged them back. I pulled Seto closer for a deep, passionate, and happy kiss. He pulled away surprised.

"Misty?" He asked as he recovered from the surprise of the kiss.

"Hi Seto," I greeted with a smile.

"Hi…what's going on?"

"I missed you and I feel so much better from this morning." I answered. He smiled, hugged me and kissed my forehead.

"I'm so glad," he replied.

"Yeah! Me too!" Mokuba chimed in and hugged me too.

"He was very worried about you too," Seto told me.

"Yeah I was. I was afraid it was another premonition, but Seto told me why you were acting so strange this morning," Mokuba replied. Oh no…Seto told him…I sighed. Well, it wasn't like it really mattered anymore. "It's okay Misty," Mokuba whispered. Okay, that was strange…Well, whatever, I guess. I ruffled Mokuba's hair affectionately and Cynthia called us to dinner. We took our places at the dinner table and discussed the day again. It seemed like the work they had to do was never going to end for them. I knew they were grateful for my help when we worked on their stuff when they came home, but there was still so much they had to do. I could tell there was something else on Seto and Mokuba's minds but they didn't seem to want to tell me anything else. I was sure they'd tell me if they wanted to, so I wasn't going to pry. We finished dinner and went upstairs to work. Jeez! There was so much they had to work on… I helped them as much as I could and they relaxed just a little bit. When we had finished, we decided to play one of Mokuba's videogames together. It really helped them relax a little more.

At bedtime, Seto had come and joined me wearing a full set of pajamas, top included. I was a bit curious as to why he was being so suddenly modest when he was coming to bed bare-chested just a couple days ago for the last week.

"_Maybe he's just trying to be respectful and not trying to tempt you since you did get so upset about making love to him and he doesn't want to make it worse?" My inner self theorized. _

"_But he knows I'm feeling better and he saw how I looked so nice today…" I protested. _

"_He doesn't want to upset you or hurt you again," my inner self replied. "He's probably still hurting a little bit too for last night."_

He crawled into bed beside me so tiredly and he pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me so tenderly. I nuzzled closer and he stroked my hair and my back while resting his head on top of mine.

"I love you so much," he told me softly and kissed my forehead.

"I love you too," I told him and started gently stroking his back. He smiled contentedly.

"That feels good, thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome. I hope it helps you feel better…you're so tensed up," I whispered back. His smile widened.

"It's helping, but could you please go a little harder?" he requested. I rubbed his back a bit harder and he closed his eyes in pleasure and he moaned softly.

"My poor honey is so stressed out…" I said soothingly, but he wasn't paying attention; he was busy enjoying his back rub. He ended up falling asleep he was feeling so soothed and relaxed and he pulled me closer to him. I smiled and cuddled closer and was lulled to sleep by his heartbeat.

As I slept…I had some odd dreams about the two of us being welded together in this embrace, but we didn't mind. In fact, we were almost happy to be welded together like this…forever. At that moment, I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my gut…I couldn't tell what it was, but it felt good and positive and like it would contribute to us being welded together forever.

~Seto's POV~

I was sleeping peacefully with Misty in my arms until I heard the alarm clock buzzing. I groaned and I let her go to turn the alarm off and sat up and rubbed my eyes. I was glad I had decided to stay with her all night instead of getting up to go to my room. I think I should sleep in here next to her more often. I felt her caress my hand resting on the bed and I turned and smiled at her sleepily. She was so beautiful even with her hair all messed up and all over the place, and her damages. She pulled me closer with her left hand and of course I didn't resist. In fact, I'd be happy to stay in bed with her just being lazy. She kissed me and I eagerly kissed back running my fingers through her hair. Mmmm…what a delicious way to start my morning…this was better than coffee.

"Good morning," I whispered against her lips.

"Good morning," she whispered back and caressed my face.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm feeing alright, especially since you were next to me," she answered I smiled. That was just the answer I wanted to hear.

"I feel the same," I replied and gave her another kiss and she smiled into my lips. Truth be told I was even better than alright having her in my arms while I slept. I'd never slept better. When we parted I reluctantly got up and went to the restroom that was in her room and used it and washed my hands. I came back into her room and helped her into her wheelchair and into the bathroom. I gave her some privacy to do her business and when I heard her washing her hands, I came in and helped her out of the bathroom and kissed her forehead. I didn't want to leave her side, but I had to go start my day and get showered and dressed. I dragged myself out of her room and then started climbing the stairs to my room. I grabbed some clothes from my closet and dresser and then went to my bathroom and shed my clothes. I sighed as I once again started fantasizing about her and me in the shower together, even though I knew that would be impossible right now. The fantasy was actually a bit more vivid since she was actually here in my mansion, but like I promised her, I'd wait until she was ready. I turned on the shower and got cleaned up and then stepped out. I got dressed in the suit I had picked and spritzed some of the sexy cologne she'd picked out for me on Saturday. I was hoping she'd be at least somewhat impressed by my look and my scent.

"_What, are you trying to plant ideas in her head?" my inner self asked me. I smirked. Yes, that was kind of what I was hoping for. My inner self shook his head with a sigh like I was absolutely hopeless._ I combed my hair, put my shoes on and then went downstairs to join Misty and Mokuba for breakfast. I caught a whiff of breakfast smells wafting through the air. The breakfast Cynthia made smelled so delicious. I heard Mokuba and Misty talking and I heard her say she was loving something.

"Loving what?" I asked as I appeared in the kitchen. "Good morning Cynthia, Misty, and Mokuba," I greeted and then sat down with Misty and Mokuba and was waiting for the answer to my question.

"I was just telling Mokuba how I'm loving staying here with y'all," Misty answered. I smiled just a little pleased with her answer.

"Good, I'm glad," I replied and took a bite out of my breakfast. "Great job Cynthia. Thank you for making breakfast," I thanked her. I really appreciated her making breakfast for us.

"You're welcome," she replied and then got a plate for herself and left us alone to eat our breakfast. We ate quietly for a little bit before we decided to have any conversation since it was rude to talk with our mouths full of food.

"I don't want to go to class and work…" I complained a bit with a heavy sigh.

"Why not?" Misty asked.

"I'd rather stay here with you, but duty calls…" I replied. It was true, I'd rather spend my time here with her and Mokuba than have to worry about what mess awaited me at work and school.

"I wish I could stay here with you too," Mokuba chimed in.

"I wish it too. It would definitely help pass the time spending it with y'all, but I don't want y'all to miss any more days than y'all have already," she replied. We sighed heavily knowing she was right.

"Yeah…" Mokuba and I agreed.

"I'm not looking forward to the intense workload either," I added. Oh God was it going to be a trainwreck…

"I'll bet. I wish I could help you…" Misty replied. It was so sweet of her to want to help, but she just couldn't right now.

"No! I want you to focus on getting better. I can handle this for now. Besides, it'll be worth it to see you when we get home."

"Yeah!" Mokuba agreed.

"Just remember to take small bites out of the work and pace yourselves," she reminded us. Yeah, we know, we know.

"We will," we promised in sync. As if she'd never let us forget.

"So what are you going to do today Misty?" Mokuba asked.

"Whatever I feel like, Gosh!" she answered in a dorky voice. Mokuba and I couldn't help chuckling a little at her dorky answer and it made her smile at least. "But seriously, I don't know…anything to help pass the time. I suppose I'll pester the staff and Cynthia," she added in a kidding tone. She was so cute when she was kidding around.

"And perhaps you'll pester your nurse Sally," I added lightheartedly. Mokuba chuckled a little.

"Maybe," she replied curiously. That's right…she hasn't met Sally yet.

"She should be coming soon," I replied. As soon as I said that, the doorbell rang and Cynthia answered it and brought Sally into the kitchen. Speak of the devil.

"Hello Sally," I greeted in my signature calm, cool, businessy voice. I only reserved my lighthearted side for Misty and Mokuba, and I wasn't going to let Sally see that side.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba," Sally greeted back politely and then looked at Misty and offered a friendly smile. "Hello Misty. I'm Sally, your personal nurse," she introduced herself and then shook Misty's good hand.

"Nice to meet you Sally," Misty replied.

"Please let me know if there's anything you need and I'll do or get it for you," Sally told her.

"And you may also ask my head of staff Cynthia for assistance," I added towards Sally. Sally nodded in understanding.

"Will do. I will take good care of her," Sally promised. I looked her over assessing her words and seemed to approve. Yeah, she was the same woman I hired to take care of Misty for me, but still I wanted to be sure I could trust her with Misty. Sally looked a little uncomfortable under my scrutinizing eyes. I was giving her a warning: "Take GOOD care of my Misty, or else!"

"Well, time for us to get to school," I said to break the awkward silence and then kissed Misty's forehead and lips. "See you later," I told Misty. Mokuba gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"See you tonight Misty," Mokuba chimed and followed me to the limo. Once we were in the limo, we sighed at the day we were about to have.

"I wonder what kind of mess awaits us," I said aloud.

"I don't even want to think about it," Mokuba agreed.

"Me either," I concurred. "But it's nice to have Misty see us off and to come home to," I added. Mokuba smiled.

"It sure is."

The limo ride was fairly quiet until we got to Mokuba's school.

"See you later Seto," Mokuba bade and climbed out of the limo reluctantly and then went inside. I took deep breaths trying to ready myself for the amount of work I was about to be buried under as Edward drove me to school. I got out and adopted my signature icy, business glare and then walked into class. I was a little early, so I talked to my professor about what I missed.

"I apologize for missing the last few days of class. I had to help my girlfriend get settled after the accident," I apologized to my professor.

"Oh yes I heard about that. I'm glad you're okay Mr. Kaiba. How is she doing?" my professor asked concerned.

"She's doing better, but it's kind of hard for her to do much, but she has help and she's getting better little by little in doing stuff herself," I explained.

"That's good to hear," my professor replied with a kind smile and then filled me in on what I missed the last few days. I found out I had a big group project I had to work on and my group was supposed to fill me in on my part…the worst part, I only had a few days to get it pulled together. Damnit! I wish they would've at least called to tell me that much…I wondered how much I was going to have to do…I also found out I had to do some chapter work…ugh! My group then showed up and was very glad to see me. They filled me in on my part of the project, and sure enough, they picked the easiest tasks and gave me the harder ones, and I had more work than they did. I glared at them hatefully.

"Listen up you peons! I've had a stressful last few days trying to deal with the car accident that almost killed my girlfriend and worry about getting her settled into my mansion to make sure she's properly cared for and I come back to find out I have the brunt of the work for this stupid project and none of you could call to tell me at least what was going on?" I snarled.

"We didn't want to bother you…" one of my groupmates replied. I growled and glared at them daring them to piss me off even more. They shrank away a bit.

"Sorry dude," another one of my groupmates casually apologized.

"No, you're not sorry, none of you are…" I hissed and paid attention to the lesson at hand and taking notes. After class was over, I went up to my professor to talk about my group's efforts on the projects.

"I'm warning you now, my group gave me most of the work to finish, and just a few days to work on it before the presentation. They couldn't bother letting me know what I had to do and how much time I had to do it. I'm going to expect you to give the grade they deserve and the grade I deserve, and if you don't, I WILL raise hell, got it?" I warned my professor.

"Understood Mr. Kaiba. Thank you for informing me," my professor replied. I went to my other class and found out there was a similar situation than my previous class, just different subject matter. What is it with these idiots who can't even let me know what's going on? And the fact that I had so much homework to do was even worse, atop of whatever mess I was going to have to clean up at Kaiba Corp.

After class was finished, I got into the limo ready to snap someone's head off.

"_Remember your anger management stuff," my inner self reminded me. I tried putting some of the techniques to work, and they helped a little, but I was still frazzled and ready to let loose on somebody. _

When Edward had dropped me off at Kaiba Corp., I went upstairs to my office and I got a notice on how much of a mess there was. It was a similar mess around the time Misty had her 2nd day of work. There was a crisis that was improperly handled and it messed a lot of things up. I yelled at the employees and warned if they messed up again, they would be fired. I cleaned up the mess and went to my office already exhausted and checked my emails. Fuck…I had a LOT of work backed up…I sighed heavily.

"_Think like Misty. She does all this work efficiently. How can we make this easier on ourselves the way Misty does it?" my inner self asked. I smiled as I thought about Misty and I seriously missed her being here at work with me, but she needed to recover. _

"_What does she do?" my inner self asked. I thought about her work style._

"_She groups tasks together," I answered. _

"_Exactly, now if you do what she does, this should blow by quickly," my inner self reasoned._ I smiled. It was ALMOST like she was here, but all I was doing was copying her style. I did what she did and the work went by fairly steadily, but there was still a lot to do. But, thankfully Misty's style had made this so much easier on me.

"Thank you Misty," I said to myself.

Lunchtime came around and I noticed how tired I was already, and I was about to get even more tired. I was getting such a headache. Oh how I wished I could just end the day already and go home and see Misty.

I also had to go meetings today. I really didn't want to, especially since I was already so tired and keyed up from cleaning up the mess my employees made. I grabbed my digital recorder and went to get a cup of coffee to help pep me up. It was a nice little boost, but it wasn't going to last long. I went to the meetings and was barely able to stay too focused, so I recorded each meeting and promised to get back to the presenters later; right now I had too much on my plate to deal with. They were satisfied with a delayed response compared to a flat rejection. Well at least I could deal with all this later.

I looked at the time and smiled as I realized I could take a short break; it was time to get Mokuba from school. At least he could help me.

Edward took me to Mokuba's school and he entered the limo excitedly.

"Hey Seto!" Mokuba greeted with a big smile I couldn't help but mirror it was so contagious.

"Hey Mokuba. You're very excited," I observed as he sat down beside me and shut the door.

"Well it was a boring day, but in English Mrs. Van Dean gave me back my report I'd written a while back today. I got the highest grade in the class on it!" Mokuba exclaimed proudly.

"That's fantastic Mokuba! Good job!" I praised him. Mokuba beamed happily. "What was your report on?"

"It was on Misty being the best thing that ever happened to us," Mokuba answered and showed me the report. I read over it and smiled as he described how Misty could be so sweet and so powerful at the same time, how she saved my life when I had appendicitis, how she saved us from going absolutely insane from work and helped us relax a bit. He also wrote how he and I would not be able to bear it if she left, and how he can't wait for her to join our little family.

"Show this to her, she's going to be so touched," I told him. I knew she'd treasure this report he'd written her as much as she treasured the locket we gave her; it was another thing I absolutely loved about her- she could be so sentimental and would treasure "common trinkets" if they held deep meaning for her.

"Oh I will Seto! I can't wait for her to read it!" Mokuba replied eagerly and had a huge smile across his face. "Oh and that part I wrote about her joining the family? I was serious about that, so when are you going to make her officially part of this family?" Mokuba demanded. Yep, he was my brother alright; he went right for the throat, per say.

"Very soon Mokuba," I replied.

"How soon?"

"I'm planning to propose soon. Let me decide, alright?"

"Hurry up…" Mokuba prodded impatiently.

"I still have to get a ring to propose with, meet her family, and get their blessing, and I'm trying to figure out how I want to propose to her," I replied. Mokuba sighed as he saw my point, but he was obviously very determined for me to marry her. I wished he wouldn't rush me though…I wanted to do this right.

"So…what kind of work do we have to do today?" Mokuba asked reluctantly changing the subject. I told him what was left and everything else we still had to do and what I went through. "Yikes…" Mokuba replied astonished.

"As long as we follow Misty's style and group the tasks together, it's not so bad," I told him.

"Yeah, but it's still a lot though," Mokuba replied.

It wasn't long before we got to Kaiba Corp. and went up to my office to work through the mess of work I hadn't been able to finish. At least the pile of work was getting smaller and smaller, but it still seemed endless.

At about 6:45 p.m., we were so tired of all our work and wanted to go home. We locked up the office and brought our schoolbags and all the work we still had to do home so we could work on them after dinner. I smiled as I could see Misty waiting for us and being so happy we were home. I wondered what she did all day.

At about 7:00 we got home and saw Misty and Sally. Misty saw us and smiled.

"Hey! There are my guys!" She greeted glad to see us. That delight to see us made everything so much better.

"Hey Misty…" we greeted tiredly and albeit a bit cranky, but we still went up to her and gave her a gentle hug.

"Bad day?" she asked sympathetically.

"Just long and tiring," I replied. Mokuba nodded in agreement. I then turned to Sally. "Did everything go alright today?"

"Yes sir Mr. Kaiba. We got to know each other mostly and everything went smoothly."

"Good, good," I replied. I'm glad they had a good day getting to know each other."Well, we'll see you tomorrow then. Have a safe trip home," I added.

"Yes sir. See you tomorrow Misty!" Sally called out to Misty with a smile and then left. Misty looked up at me, and then pulled me down to her level with her left hand so she could kiss me. Mmmm…that was so nice…I melted a little into her kiss and caressed her face tenderly. Boy did that help! Mokuba smiled a little bit as he watched. I smiled a bit as I pulled away a bit later.

"Thank you. That really helped," I told her and gave her another sweet peck.

"Good, it better have," she teased lightly and earned another small smile from me. She was being so cute. She then turned to Mokuba to give him some love. "Mokuba come here," she instructed and waved him to come to her.

"Yes Misty?" Mokuba asked tiredly as he came closer. She opened up her good arm up to him and invited him for a hug. He smiled and came closer and she gave him as big a hug she could manage and gave him playful pecks all over his face. I smiled at how affectionate she was being and the playful struggle Mokuba was putting up against her.

"Stop Misty!" Mokuba said while laughing and squirming to get away I couldn't resist chuckling at his efforts. Misty stopped a moment later.

"There's a smile," she told him with a smile of her own. "Cynthia's almost done with dinner and y'all can tell me all about y'all's day," Misty suggested.

"Alright," we agreed and plopped down on the couch. We were fairly quiet but we were just relaxing for a moment after the exhausting day we had. I then helped her out of her wheelchair and had her sit between me and Mokuba. It felt good to have her sitting with us. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer and she rested her head on my shoulder. God how I missed her, and damn did her hair smell so good. Having her in my arms really helped me relax. I kissed the top of her head affectionately. "We missed you," I told her softly.

"Yeah! It wasn't the same without you there," Mokuba chimed in.

"I know. I wish I could've been there too," she replied. "But at least we get to spend time together now, and perhaps after dinner we can do homework together like we used to," she offered. We smiled. She was so sweet to have wanted to have been at work with us and to offer to help us with our homework. We could definitely use and appreciated the help she was offering. It might help us catch up a bit.

"Alright," we agreed. About 15 minutes later, Cynthia had set the table for us with dinner and called us to the table. I helped her back into her wheelchair and we went to the table. The delicious smells were wafting all over the kitchen.

"Thank you Cynthia, it looks fantastic," Misty complimented her and earned a smile from her. Mokuba and I said a quick thank you too. I noticed Cynthia really seemed to like Misty, and I appreciated how Misty was so kind and polite to Cynthia. Just another reason she'd fit in so well here.

"You're welcome," Cynthia replied with a smile, and went to take her meal in the next room.

"We should invite her to join us," Misty suggested. Awww…Misty was so sweet to want to include her.

"It's alright, she and the rest of the staff have their own dining room, and they prefer to let me, Mokuba, and now you eat in peace together as a family," I replied to appease her. I let them be and in turn they let me, Mokuba, and Misty eat in peace. I wouldn't blame them for not wanting to eat with their boss anyways. And yes, I did include her as family because that's how it really felt like, and she was about to officially be family soon anyways, as long as she agreed to it of course.

"Oh," Misty replied unsure of what else to say. I wondered what she thought about me mentioning her as part of our family. "So, tell me about y'all's day," Misty prompted and started to eat the delicious dinner Cynthia had made for us. "How was school? What happened at work?"

"Well school was kind of uneventful, except for English," Mokuba began.

"Oh? What's going on with English?" Misty asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I'll show you after dinner," Mokuba replied and had a sort of excited look in his grey eyes. I couldn't wait to see her reaction to Mokuba's report.

"Promise?" Misty asked eagerly.

"Promise," Mokuba swore with a grin. Misty smiled back at him.

"How about you Seto, how was class and work?" Misty asked. Must we talk about that hell?

"Stressful…I have class projects to do and I had so much work backed up from the last few days…and I had another crisis we had to clean up and fix. I seriously had to test my anger management skills I'm learning…" I replied stoically and continued eating. I also hoped she noticed I was using the anger management skills from the book she got me. When I swallowed my food I looked at her and smiled. "But the kiss you gave me when we came home really helped. I could seriously get used to that." Oh I DEFINITELY could enjoy and get used to coming home to a big kiss like that. It was kind of like the kiss mothers gave their children to make every thing better, only this kiss was a LOT more grown up and reeked of hidden desire to do more than kiss.

"You absolutely should get used to that," Misty agreed with a smile. I smiled wider. Fantastic! I'd get a fix from her lips every night!

"I definitely have something to look forward to," I replied. Her lips were a drug that I loved being addicted to. Mokuba rolled his eyes a little.

"Get a room," Mokuba teased.

"If I recall mister, YOU were the one who pushed us together in the first place," Misty retorted with a smirk. "So that means you have to get used to me showing Seto affection in front of you, including kissing, hugging, and more." To prove her point, she pulled me in for a big kiss. Mmmmmm… Mokuba gave us a good natured smirk.

"Alright, alright, I suppose I deserved that," Mokuba replied.

"Yep. You have to live with the success of us ending up together," Misty added with a grin and a giggle.

"Yeah Mokuba," I chimed in agreement and held her close and kissed the top of her head and then let her go so we could eat. It wasn't ALL Mokuba's fault we ended up together, but it was mostly his fault.

"Okay, okay, I got the point," Mokuba replied with a bit of chuckle and continued eating. We finished dinner and I gathered the dishes and rinsed them for Cynthia. When we had gotten to the stairs, I took her out of her wheelchair and then sat her down on the chair lift and then pressed a button. In a few seconds, the chair lift started carrying her upstairs while Mokuba and I compacted her wheelchair and then started carrying it up.. She waited at the top of the stairs and we joined her about a minute or two later, set her wheelchair back up , put her in, and led her to my home office. I smirked as she looked around and seemed impressed with the décor here, but that was hardly worth thinking about right now. Right now we had to work.

Mokuba and I got ourselves situated and readied ourselves to work on our work. Mokuba then got out a stack of papers from his organizer and his grey eyes lit up excitedly as he handed the stack to Misty. This was going to be good! She took it from him and read it and smiled.

"Thank you Mokuba. That was the sweetest thing I'd ever read," she told him and motioned him to come over and give her a hug. He obligingly stepped forward and hugged her on her left side for a long moment. I smiled at the scene and I had to get a picture of this. I found my digital camera in my desk and snapped a picture of the two of them hugging like that. They looked up in surprise as I looked at the picture on the screen and showed it to them. Both of them smiled widely at the adorable picture.

"That's a keeper," I remarked. It was too sweet not to keep.

"I'll say," Misty agreed. My turn. Mokuba then took the camera and I scooped her out of her wheelchair and sat her on the couch and sat beside her. I held her close against my body and kissed her forehead as she glanced up at me endearingly and saw the flash. Mokuba surely picked a good moment. He grinned.

"Wow! That's a great one! Definitely a keeper!" We looked at it and smiled. He was right- that was one to definitely keep to show how we loved each other. I wanted to frame it so I could look at it all the time. She gave me a peck and I smiled. This was a happy moment. I then noticed the work we had to do summoning us in a grave, somber tone. I shuddered inwardly, but it had to be done.

"I suppose we should get some work done," I said awkwardly.

"_Relax, you get to have some help from Misty," my inner self reminded me.  
"Right," I agreed. That thought helped a bit. _

"Yeah…" Misty and Mokuba agreed and we got started working on homework and projects together.

Later…

"Thanks for your help Misty!" Mokuba and I told her and gave her a quick hug. We felt so much better now that she helped us.

"You're very welcome guys. I'm glad I could help," Misty said with a smile. I bet she was happy that she was at least able to help us with our homework and could feel useful. "So, how should we unwind and relax?" Misty asked. I didn't really want to do anything but just veg out with her and Mokuba.

"Well, maybe we can watch a movie?" I suggested.

"_And at least you can hold her close during the movie too," my inner self added_. I smiled inwardly; I really liked the idea of her being in my arms and resting against me.

"That's a fantastic idea! I think an Adam Sandler movie would help us unwind," Misty replied and smiled excitedly. Mokuba and I looked at her blankly. Who the hell was Adam Sandler?

"Okay…" I replied unsure of what else to say. I had no idea what she was talking about. She started wheeling out of the office and went to the stairs already ahead of us. We put her back on the chair lift and sent her downstairs while compacting and carrying her wheelchair down. This was going to be quite a workout every night. We carried it downstairs and set up her wheelchair again and put her in. She rolled to her room and then reappeared in the living room holding a small stack of DVDs.

"Alright, so which movie should we watch? I've got Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, 50 First Dates, and the Wedding Singer."

"You choose Misty," Mokuba suggested. I frankly didn't care what movie we watched. Misty seemed to have a harder time choosing, but she randomly picked one of them and chose Wedding Singer and smiled broadly. Looks like this was a good choice. Mokuba put it in the DVD player while I picked her up out of the chair and sat her next to me on the couch and then wrapped my arms around her. I could never get over how warm she was and how good she smelled.

"Y'all will love this movie," Misty declared. She was so sure of it. "It's one of my all-time favorites. I never get tired of watching this. And Seto you should pay close attention to the movie," Misty added. My attention perked up when she said I should pay close attention to the movie especially since this was one of her favorites.

"Oh? Why?" I asked curiously. What did she want me to pay attention to? Well, I wasn't going to disappoint her. I was really going to pay close attention to it.

"Oh, you'll see," Misty replied with a smile. Mokuba pressed play and sat with us. I was watching the movie intensely, and I actually felt bad for Robbie for getting stood up at the altar by Linda and I noticed how Glen was such an asshole. I did notice a few similarities between him and me…ouch…was that why she wanted me to watch this movie?

"_Don't be an idiot. Misty would never think of you like that. There's something else," my inner self told me crabbily._ Still, the similarities were kind of uncanny. Glen was selfish, rude, heartless, and so worried about his money. I couldn't see why Julia would choose to be with him. I felt a sharp prickle of realization that Misty was like Julia and I still couldn't figure out how I managed to get her to fall for me even with my personality. Yeah, I was a bit intimidating, but she wasn't intimidated by me, but why would she choose to stay with me?

"_You're really pissing me off…" my inner self snapped. _

"_Why? It's the truth," I retorted. _

"_Do you remember what she said about what St. Peter said about her work being with you? Do you not remember how she saved you twice already, the last time at the expense of her own body? Do you not see how she's snuggled up to you right now and lately? And she'll tell you you're not like Glen. Listen to her!" my inner self demanded._ I wasn't sure, but I forced it out of my head for now and watched the rest of the movie. It was a pretty cute movie. I think I caught Misty off guard when I decided to kiss her when Robbie and Julia kissed at the end of the movie. I hope she liked it.

"That was a good movie," Mokuba remarked with a smile.

"Yes it is," Misty agreed and mirrored his smile.

"I hated Glen…" I remarked. I'm sure she could tell.

"Me too," Misty agreed.

"He was such an ass! He also kind of reminded me of me before I met you… I see why you wanted me to watch it closely…as a warning." I explained. Misty's eyes widened a little at my explanation in shock. I honestly wasn't expecting that reaction from her.

"Um, honey, I wanted you to watch it because it shows that love is stronger than money in relationships…" Misty explained. I looked at her surprised. Oh my God I was wrong… "And I can't believe you compared yourself to Glen," Misty added.

"_I was right! HA!" my inner self gloated. _

"But I was like him…" I protested.

"WAS, that's the key word," Misty replied.

"_See? She doesn't think of you like that," my inner self gloated smugly. _

"Yeah Seto, you're not like Glen," Mokuba agreed.

"Mokuba's right. You're not like him. You at least care about someone other than yourself. You care so much about me and Mokuba, and your loyal staff," Misty explained. "In the movie, Glen was a selfish bastard who only looked out for his own interests. He didn't even care about Julia, his own fiancée. Particularly when he told her he didn't want her to throw up in his car because 'it'll stink for a week.' He even cheated on her all the time, wouldn't let her have the window seat, was marrying her because he 'owed it to her to get married', and was trying to make her give up her hopes and dreams of a perfect wedding by going to Vegas. YOU on the other hand, get worried about us when we're sick or hurt…" I shuddered as soon as she said the word hurt. I saw her so busted up just after the accident again. "…You love us, want what's best for us, and would do anything to make us happy. Granted you don't really have anyone else besides us and your loyal staff, but everyone else doesn't know you're capable of caring. You're just very guarded," Misty explained. "I wanted you to see that money doesn't really matter when it comes to truly happy relationships like Robbie and Julia's. I want us to be as happy as they are." I felt immensely better when she mentioned she wanted us to be like Robbie and Julia and the way she explained why she wanted me to pay attention. I smiled a little and squeezed her closer to my body.

"_See? You were being paranoid over nothing," my inner self admonished me. _

She turned her head and kissed me softly and I eagerly kissed back and ran my fingers through her hair and caressed her face. I parted from her lips and gazed into her fiery chocolate eyes. "You're so sweet," I told her softly. She smiled at me and hugged me. I was so happy she held me tight and I was happy to hold her in my arms. We lingered in the embrace for a few peaceful minutes when I saw the time: 11:45 p.m. It was fairly late.

"I suppose it's time for us to get to bed," I announced and put her back into her wheelchair.

"Alright," Mokuba agreed nonchalantly. "Good night Seto, Good night Misty," Mokuba bade and gave us both a hug, kissed her cheek, and I ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Good night Mokuba," Misty and I bade and watched as he went upstairs. I lingered by her side a moment. I wanted to stay with her, but I had to part from her side to go upstairs.

"Good night Seto," she bade as I pulled away from her. I made a decision on the spot to go change, get some clothes, and then come back and sleep next to her. I wanted to hold her close and see her face next to mine in the morning.

"Hang on Misty, I'll be right back. I just need to get changed and then get some fresh clothes for tomorrow," I replied and then quickly climbed the stairs to my room. I quickly shed my suit and put on some pajamas. I then thought about going shirtless and decided to leave my shirt behind. I figured Misty would like it and I smirked at how she probably would be ogling me.

"_Trying to tempt her?" my inner self asked with an eyebrow raised._

"_I just feel comfortable to go without my shirt," I replied with a nonchalant shrug._

"_Whatever you say," my inner self replied with an eye roll. _I got another suit ready for tomorrow and some underwear and then went back downstairs and entered her room. I smirked as I noticed her ogling my body. I nonchalantly hung my outfit near her bathroom, got her out of her wheelchair, gently laid her on the bed, and then climbed in beside her. I gently wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. She immediately nuzzled as close as she could to me and rested her head on my bare chest. She smelled so good and her silky dark chocolate waves brushed over my bare skin. Oh that felt good. I ran my fingers through those silky waves and down her back. She smiled a lazy, sleepy smile and fell asleep. She looked so happy and so peaceful. I kissed her forehead and watched her sleep a little and then ended up falling asleep myself. I noticed I seemed to sleep better with her in my arms.

_Tonight I had a dream about the three of us in a setting that resembled the Wedding Singer. At first I was like Glen. I was selfish, rude, disrespectful ... and nobody truly liked me; they only liked me because I was rich and having fun and they wanted part of that. Then I saw Misty as Julia. Of course she was as sweet as always, but she could see how awful I was and wanted nothing to do with me even though I tried to shower her with gifts. I asked what the hell was wrong with her, and she slapped me and said that no matter how many expensive gifts I showered her with, she wouldn't be mine until I learned some respect and selflessness. I realized how much I wanted her and I found myself as Robbie and Mokuba as Sammy. I didn't have my fortune anymore, but I at least had friends and I was doing what made me happy. I took a break and found Misty sitting on the loading dock outside, the same way it happened in the movie, except for the kid throwing up. She looked up at me and smiled and it was like a fresh start to our meeting. This time, she was happy to be around me and enjoyed having the attention I was giving her. Later, I saw Mokuba as Sammy talking to Misty about me and trying to talk me up to her. She blushed and seemed to like me even more. Fast Forward a bit- I serenaded her with a song about a happy future with her and how I couldn't bear to be away from her. She really liked the song and Mokuba was practically pushing her into me. She smiled and then kissed me and swore herself to me as my girl. I saw us getting married and we embraced. We stood frozen in time in the embrace with Mokuba watching as the rest of the world swirled by around us. The dream made me realize I would infinitely be much happier and have Misty forever if I acted like Robbie…at least just with her and Mokuba. The rest of the world I didn't give a rat's ass about and I didn't care if they liked me or not; Misty and Mokuba were the only two that mattered. It made me happy knowing Misty would love me no matter what if I acted like Robbie. _It was a strange dream, but it was very fitting all the same, and at least it had a happy ending.

Morning came and she and I woke up together at the sound of the alarm and we greeted each other with a sweet good morning kiss before I got up and went to use the restroom. I came out for a moment to give her a turn to use the bathroom. I was Impressed she was starting to get better at using the restroom on her own. When she came out, I went back in to shower while she left the room. I was kind of excited to use her shower, and I didn't think she'd mind if I used a little of her stuff since I forgot to bring those down. I smiled contentedly as I showered in her bathtub and wished I could bathe her one day. I got out and got dressed and combed my hair and then joined her and Mokuba at the breakfast table. I was really enjoying waking up with her beside me and having breakfast with her. Of course, we complained about having to have to go to work and school and would rather be with her, but we had to go. It was just going to be another day of being buried under a ton of work. We finished breakfast and then Sally came to look after Misty for me and then Mokuba and I dragged ourselves away and left for school. Mokuba and I didn't talk much this morning aside from idle chit chat and then we had gotten to his school.

"See you later Seto," Mokuba bade.

"See you later Mokuba," I bade and he shut the door and walked inside. Edward dropped me off on campus and then I walked up to my class with a heavy sigh. I had different classes today, but I bet I'd have to endure the same kind of shit from yesterday. Sure enough, I did have to. Ugh! I didn't have time for this shit! I went to work and luckily there was no mess to clean up today, but I still had a lot of work to do, including returning those calls I promised from yesterday.

"_Just think about Misty," my inner self reminded me._ Immediately I smiled as I thought about her here helping me and also about going home to her. I then went out to go pick up Mokuba from school and once again he helped share the brunt of the work until about 6:45 again. Finally, we could go home and see Misty and have her help us once again. This part about getting to see her again made the rest of the day worth it. We came home and she noticed how tired we were and she was so sympathetic. As promised she kissed me deeply and I hungrily responded since I was thinking about the kiss all day. No matter how bad my day was, Misty's kiss and presence made everything so much better. We ate dinner together, worked on homework and projects, and unwound with Mr. Deeds tonight. When it was bed time, I hurriedly changed into my pajama pants, grabbed a suit and my stuff from my shower, and then eagerly returned to her room to join her in bed. I loved having her in my arms every night and every morning.

It was more or less the same thing everyday for a week, but Mokuba and I were a lot more tired and grew crabbier with each passing day. Sure, her kisses and hugs helped a little, but we were still stressed and crabby from all the work we were burdened with. Yeah, her assistance was greatly appreciated, but we were still buried deep in work and it was really stressing us out, particularly me. That night, after Mokuba had gone up to bed, I still had so much work to do. Instead of joining Misty in bed tonight, I went upstairs into my office again to keep working. I wished I could be in bed with her, but I had work to finish. I was going to miss her tonight. I sank down into my chair and turned my computer back on and waited for it to boot up my programs. I wondered what Misty was doing. Was she already asleep? She probably was. I sighed heavily. I was so tired, sore, and my head had a splitting headache. I worked for about an hour and a half getting more and more irritable the longer I worked but I still had more to do. Looks like this was going to be an all nighter again…I got a text message. I opened my phone and saw a text message from Misty. I smiled a half smile.

"Come to my room," the text message read.

"Misty, I'm sorry, but I've got so much work I have to work on and hopefully finish before the end of the night," I texted back. God how I wished I could end this and just go down there.

"Save your work and get down here," Misty replied. All she was going to do was keep demanding I go down to her room, so I might as well go. I sighed and got up stiffly from my chair and then was in her doorway quite annoyed with her.

"Yes Misty? What is it?" I snapped.

"Close the door and lock it," Misty ordered. I looked at her curiously, but did as she said. What was she doing? What did she want, particularly with the door closed and locked? Something was up. She waggled her finger in a come hither motion. I hesitated but obeyed. I wasn't sure what's going on.

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read sexual content_

* * *

"Well? What's going on?" I demanded irritably as I came closer.

"I'm feeling dirty…I need a sponge bath," Misty said softly and huskily. She wanted a sponge bath? Could it be? No…

"Can you…wait until Sally comes…tomorrow?" I asked hesitantly. She wasn't asking what I think she was, was she? I asked just in case my mind was playing tricks on me.

"No…I'm feeling dirty…and sticky…now…I…want…you to give me a sponge bath…" Misty replied seductively. I stared at her wide-eyed and in shock. Okay, my mind must REALLY be playing a sick joke on me, but what if it wasn't?

"_I'm not doing any of this, this is REAL!" my inner self confirmed. Oh God…she WAS asking me to…sponge bathe her!_

"_Hold up Mr. Horny, ask if she's sure," my inner self advised. _

"Are…are you sure?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes. I want you to sponge bathe me," Misty confirmed. I had to make sure this was actually happening.

"Ow!" I exclaimed as I pinched myself. "Misty, I'll ask you one more time…Are…you…absolutely and positively sure… you want this?" I had to ask just one more time just in case. I didn't want her to be angry.

"Yes!" Misty exclaimed almost urgently. I practically melted at her answer and I immediately started getting the bucket filled with water and got a fragrant soap and washcloth to use on her. I grabbed an extra towel from the bathroom and then put it aside for later. I couldn't believe this was actually happening! My fantasy was actually coming true! I sat her up and was about to strip her clothes off of her when she stopped me. What? Why? SHE JUST SAID SHE WAS OKAY WITH THIS! WHY WAS SHE TEASING ME?

"Misty! You just said you were sure about this!" I complained.

"I am, but there's something I want you to do," Misty told me. WHY WAS SHE TORTURING ME?

"Yeah? What is it?" I demanded impatiently. She brought me closer so she could whisper in my ear.

"I want you to be naked while you sponge bathe me," Misty whispered. OH. MY. GOD. SHE REALLY WANTED IT! My jaw dropped a second in shock and of course she tapped it. "You'll catch flies," she reminded me. Suddenly, my face broke into a grin and I kissed her so eagerly. I'd never been happier and more excited than I was right now! She was giving me permission to see AND touch her naked body and then make love to her! When I pulled away, I immediately started unbuttoning my buttons as quickly as I could and within 2 minutes I stood in front of her completely naked and my penis was fully erect and quivering with eagerness. Misty was staring at and ogling it. I hope she liked it.

"L-l-like…it?" I asked nervously.

"It's perfect," Misty replied. I smiled and kissed her and then deftly removed her clothes and she was lying naked on the towel on the bed. Oh God…she was so beautiful. Granted, she was still in her casts, scarred, and bruised, but still. I'd never been more turned on than I was right now.

"Oh Misty…you're so beautiful…" I breathed and then started to lather up the washcloth with the soap and water. I was going to seriously enjoy this. I rubbed the washcloth down her neck, down her arms and on her hands. I gingerly turned her on her left side and then washed down her neck and over her shoulders and back all the way down to her gorgeously cushy butt. I rubbed the soap firmly into her butt playing with its cushiness, and then washed her thighs and down her legs all the way to her toes. I turned her back onto her back and then started washing her breasts. I squeezed and fondled her beautiful, creamy, alabaster breasts through the washcloth, and even played with her dusky rose nipples. She moaned in pleasure. Oh God! Oh! I moaned, stiffened, and grew harder as I fondled her breasts. I was enjoying washing her and exploring her body, but I took great care to avoid the casts on her right side. I slowly went down her stomach, over her hips, and then to tease her down her legs and back up very slowly to her lady parts. Oh God…her lady parts…they were such a beautiful sight. I could smell her arousal and it made me so much harder. I was going to drive her crazy and make her want me to fill her. I circled the wash cloth all over her soft folds and against the little nub of nerves that would drive her insane when stimulated- her clit. Oh God! I watched her grip the sheets hard as I teased her clit a bit roughly and she bucked to my hand. Oh God, Oh God…I can't believe I was doing this to her! My breathing quickened and then I had to stop a moment. She was turning me on so much and I couldn't take too much more. Misty groaned like she wanted more. I would be happy to give her more, but I wanted her to give me a moment to catch my bearings.

"H-hang on…G-give…m-me a moment…" I requested and then was on all fours on the bed trying to give myself a moment to calm down. God she was so sexy and so beautiful! I was panting heavily and was so horny from having the chance to explore her body from her sponge bath. She pulled me close for a deep kiss and I straddled her and kissed her back hard. I wanted so badly to be inside her right now. I ground my hard member against her folds showing her how much I wanted to be inside her, but I guess she wasn't ready for me to fill her just yet. She pulled away a moment. Oh…why did she have to pull away?

"Seto, lie on the bed…I want to explore you," Misty whispered. Okay, I can last a little bit longer for her to have a chance to explore my body. Fair's fair after all, and I had always imagined her touching me. I smiled and then lay back while Misty sat up. I let her fingers gently and slowly caress my chest, my shoulders, my neck, and my abs. I trembled in pleasure. She circled her fingers gently around my nipples and flared her hand over my chest. I felt her nails lightly scratch down my abs and I stiffened in pleasure. She was getting so close to my hard, throbbing penis. She stroked on my cut lines that came from my hips and narrowed downwards. I bucked a bit. She rubbed down my thighs and over my legs to my feet. Why did she have to tease me like that? She came back up my legs and I drew a sharp breath and then released it with a groan when she completely bypassed my aching member and turned me facedown. God this was exquisite torture… she scratched down my back and down my arms. I wished she'd hurry up…I wanted her to touch my hard member so badly. It got worse when she squeezed my ass. Oh please hurry Misty! I couldn't take much more teasing and torture! Just touch me already! She turned me back onto my back and then her hand skimmed down my abs to my throbbing penis. Oh God! Finally! I gasped as she gently squeezed and played with every inch of it and I was moaning and bucking eagerly to her hand. Oh God…it felt so good! I felt her use her hand to reach down and touch a spot between my anus and my balls and I couldn't take anymore! I needed her so badly right now!

"OH GOD MISTY! DON'T TEASE ME! OH GOD! I NEED YOU!" I cried out and was doing my best to breathe deeply to calm myself down. I had to last! I wanted to cum with her! She came closer to my ear and whispered.

"Fill me…but be gentle." I didn't need to be told twice. Oh God! The moment was finally here! She was going to be all mine! I sprang up from the bed and then hung over her eagerly. I kissed her so hard and pressed my rock-hard penis against her folds and looked into her devious, eager, chocolate eyes.

"Are…y-you…ready?" I asked.

"Yes," Misty replied. I smiled delighted and then positioned myself and then gently pushed in. I felt her barrier break and she hissed and gripped my back in pain and then clenched her teeth. Oh no! Did I hurt her?

"Misty! I'm sorry! Are you in pain? Do you want me to stop?" I asked frantically. I hoped I didn't have to, but I would if she was hurting so badly.

"No! Don't…stop…just…let me get…used to you…" Misty replied through her teeth. "Just…hold on…" she added. Okay, if that's all she needed, I was happy to give her that, but I hoped it would hurry so I could continue. I didn't move for a moment as her vagina got used to the feel of my penis in her... I hoped she was feeling better…I couldn't hold on much longer… I gripped the sheets to stave off my eagerness.

"Okay, continue," Misty told me softly. Oh Thank God! I kissed her and then plunged myself deep into her as gently as I could manage. I didn't want to hurt her even more than I had when I entered. We both gasped when I pulled back and thrusted deeply again; the friction felt soooo good! She grabbed one of my hands and put it at her folds and put my fingers at my clit and showed me how to stimulate her and drive her crazy that much faster. Anything to bring her to the edge that much faster! I eagerly took over and rubbed her clit vigorously and thrusted deeply. Misty closed her eyes and moaned and bucked into me as best she could. Oh God! This was divine! I LOVED her expression that showed how much she was enjoying this. She opened her eyes again and smiled up at me as she enjoyed it. I was so happy she was enjoying herself. I hoped she was close! Hang on Seto…Hang on…

I thrusted a few more times and then the words I'd been dying to hear! "Oh God! Seto! I'm gonna cum!"

"Hang on! Almost…there!" I replied as I was thrusting deeper and faster to help get me to release faster and harder. She moaned and maneuvered her hand to find my secret spot and pressed. Oh God! Here it comes! I moaned loudly and then my release exploded inside of her as her walls clamped down on me. She gasped loudly. Oh…I was so exhausted with the pleasure... I lay next to her and we were both panting. I held her close and kissed her deeply, pouring all my love and happiness into the kiss. I'd never felt so happy and so connected to her than I did right now. She was all mine, and I was all hers! I pulled away to breathe and gazed at her smiling. She smiled back and caressed my face tenderly. I pulled her closer and she rested her head on my chest. It felt so good to have her hair splayed over my chest and her bare, warm skin against mine. She suddenly groaned In pain. What was wrong?

"Misty? Are you alright?" I asked concerned.

"Need…my pain…meds…" Misty groaned. Oh yeah…I forgot that pleasure would probably make her busted limbs ache. I got up from her bed, got a cup of water and her pain meds from the bathroom and brought them to her. She swallowed her pills and drank the water and waited for them to kick in. She pat the bed inviting me to come back and join her and I immediately climbed back into bed with her wanting to physically reconnect with her. She immediately resumed her position resting on my chest and I kissed her forehead and started running my fingers through her hair. There was no way in hell I was going to get up from this position until morning.

"I love you," I whispered. Oh, we were on a whole new plane of love now.

"I love you too," Misty replied. Those words were music to my ears especially now.

"Thank you," I whispered and gave her another kiss. I can't believe she loved and trusted me this much to actually let me finally make love to her. Misty smiled in response and nuzzled closer.

"You're welcome," she whispered against my skin and started to close her eyes tiredly. "Good night, my love," she bade and fell asleep against my body. I watched her sleep for a few minutes stroking her hair away from her face. I kissed her forehead and then fell asleep holding her close. I had awesome dreams tonight, mostly about her and I being fused together in an embrace forever. I didn't mind that at all; as long as it kept her in my arms and with me forever.

* * *

_End of sexual content_

I woke up when I felt her moving against me restlessly and heard her moaning and whimpering. She sounded like she was having a nightmare. What was wrong?"Misty! Wake up! Wake up!"I commanded and shook her a little to wake her up. She gasped as she awoke and re-oriented herself. Something was very wrong…I looked into her eyes worriedly and hugged her to comfort her.

"Misty, you were having a nightmare," I told her softly and caressed her back soothingly. "It's alright, I'm here, I'm here." She hugged me closer burying her face into my chest and started to cry. Oh no…Please God don't let it be a premonition…

"Misty? What's wrong?" I asked concerned. "Was it your nightmare?" She nodded into my chest. "Was it a premonition?" she shook her head. Well, that was a relief at least, but what was wrong? Why was she so upset? What was her nightmare about? "What is then?"

"I…broke…my vow…" she explained between tears.

"What vow?" I asked gingerly.

"I…vowed…when I was 13…to…wait…until…m-my…w-wedding night…to have sex…I …vowed it…t-to m-my parents…God…and myself…I can't believe…I let myself…be…so overcome…by lust…to break my vow…I thought I was stronger…than that…" she replied brokenly. Oh no…she was regretting making love to me…

"Oh Misty…I'm so sorry…" I apologized and held her close. I felt horrible…I should have known…

"_It's not your fault…you DID ask if she was absolutely sure and she practically demanded it. You are not at fault…," my inner self reminded me. _

"_True, but I still feel horrible…she was happy right after we made love…and now, she's so upset…" I replied sadly. "I should have resisted more…" _

"It's my fault…" she said sadly and glumly.

"It's partly my fault…I should've known better…" I said trying to help her feel better. I couldn't let her take all the blame like that.

"_That's very noble of you," my inner self complimented me._

"_Of course, I love her," I replied. "I'd do anything for her."_

"It's not your fault…it's mine…" she insisted.

"I'm still so sorry…we can't do anything to take it back, but I'd do anything to make you feel better. We can make a new vow right now between you and me. We can vow to wait or anything you want," I told her. She gave me a sad smile.

"I don't want to make a vow right now because I don't even know what kind of vow I should make, and I just ruined the last one I made…I…I just need…some time to figure all this out…" Misty told me.

"_She's feeling dirty and cheap because she broke a sacred promise and gave you her virginity when she was saving it as a wedding gift and now it's ruined. It's sweet of you to offer to make a new vow for her, but you do have to see it her way; she's afraid she'll ruin that vow too, and it really hurts her to break a vow she'd made; she takes promises very seriously. Give her some time to bounce back," my inner self advised._ He was right, and I could sort of see it her way; I despised breaking my promises too. If I had broken a sacred vow like hers, I'd probably be upset with myself too.

I held her close just offering what comfort I could give to her.

"Take all the time you need, but remember I'm here for you," I whispered as I kissed her forehead tenderly and hugged her. I ran my fingers through her hair and rested my head on top of hers. She burrowed closer into my arms accepting my comfort silently. She suddenly seemed even more upset and I wondered what was wrong now.

I rubbed her arms soothingly and kissed her forehead. I hoped this helped, but she still seemed a little scared.

"_Perhaps she's feeling scared that you might not see her the same way as before?" my inner self theorized. _

"_I love Misty as always. That's never going to change and I'm never going to look at her any other way."_

"_Keep showing her that. This was obviously a big step for her and she's craving your reassurance that everything is going to be alright and that you still love her the same way. Tell her."_

"Misty, I know you're upset, but I want you to know my feelings for you have not and will not change. You're still the same beautiful, fiery woman I fell madly in love with." I told her. She smiled a little bit at my words. Good, very good…we were making progress. "Misty, I love you sweetie. I will always love you," I whispered and held her face in my hands. She smiled a little bit more and cuddled closer into my body. She looked like she was feeling better.

"I love you too," she told me. I still got butterflies every time she said that to me. I smiled softly at her.

"Alright my love, let's get back to sleep. Wake me if you have any more bad dreams, alright?" I asked tenderly and gave her a soft kiss to help put her in a more relaxed state of mind.

"It might be better if you wake me if you can tell I'm in a bad dream. I might not be able to escape so easily…" she replied. I could do that.

"I will rescue you my love," I promised. She smiled a little and curled closer to me and let sleep pull her under again. My arms tightened around her a bit more and held her close to my body. I watched her sleeping peacefully and I did feel kind of sad. We made beautiful love together and her vow had to ruin it. It was kind of like it made her regret it.

"_You're starting to sound selfish again. Her virginity was one of her prized attributes and she made a vow to keep it safe, of course she'd be upset. And she doesn't regret making love to you, but she regrets breaking the PROMISE. If she regretted making love to you, she wouldn't have sought solace in your arms and against your body," my inner self reminded me. He did have a point and I felt a little better. I sighed, kissed her forehead and her lips before falling asleep myself. I didn't have as great a sleep as I had hoped, but at least she didn't have any more nightmares because she hadn't moved around or made noises so that was a good thing. The next morning, I could feel a pair of eyes watching me. I opened my eyes and smiled at my sweetheart who was staring at me. _

"Good morning," she greeted softly and mirrored my smile.

"Good morning," I echoed and kissed her. "How are you feeling?" I could only hope she was feeing better.

"I'm feeling a bit better," Misty replied and smiled a little bit more as she saw me holding her tight. "Feeling possessive this morning?" she asked lightly. I smirked in return. She was feeling better and was in good spirits.

"No," I answered. I hadn't noticed how closely I'd been holding her anyways.

"You're holding me quite possessively," she pointed out then whispered, "but then again I like how you hold me." My grin widened a little. Oh she liked how I held her huh? Good because she was going to stay in my arms as long as possible.

"Then I'm never letting you go," I replied. She smiled a little more and kissed me and I obligingly kissed back.

"Thank you," she told me softly as we parted to breathe.

"For?" I asked curiously. What was she thanking me for again?

"Helping me feel better. Your words really helped."Ah right.

"That was my goal sweetheart," I replied and caressed her scarred yet beautiful face. Misty smiled and kissed me once more and sighed.

"I wish we didn't have to get up to face the rest of the day apart," she said ruefully.

"I know sweetheart, but I'll be back later and I'll be all yours," I promised.

"I'll hold you to that. I'll miss you. I bet you'll go crazy and want to come home," she wagered. Oh how I would go crazy wishing I was home with her instead of at work…

"You'd win that bet," I assured her, kissed her forehead and then got up to go to her bathroom. I could feel her eyes ogling me as I got up and retreated into her bathroom. That was nice. I really didn't mind if she saw me naked anymore. When I came out, I picked her up and carried her into the bathroom and helped her get situated.

"Let me know when you're done. I'll pick you up again," I instructed and then went to wait on the bed. I heard her use the bathroom and then wash her hands.

"I'm ready," she called out to me. Immediately I was back in the bathroom and I scooped her up and carried her back to the bed. I helped dress her so she was decent enough to go eat breakfast. I put her back in the wheelchair, kissed her forehead, and returned to the bathroom to shower. I sighed as I turned the water on and stepped in. I was a bit lost in thought during my shower wondering if she truly was feeling better or not. I felt a little hollow from our discussion last night. I hoped we both would be able to feel better.

"_Everything will be okay. Just wait and see," my inner self told me. "And if you want to help, just be sweet to her and don't pressure her. She'll appreciate the time and space to sort through any hang-ups she has and she'll come back to you when she's ready." Alright, I could do that. _I finished my shower and wore a long robe that was hanging in her bathroom and went upstairs to dress. I got dressed and joined Mokuba and Misty for breakfast and had our normal breakfast conversations until Sally came and we left for school. When I kissed her, I gave her a more tender kiss than usual to show how much I cared for her and was concerned for her. However, through breakfast, I could tell Mokuba looked worried about Misty and he wanted to know what was going on. Once we were in the limo, Mokuba pounced on the opportunity to ask what was going on with her.

"Seto? Did Misty seem to be acting strange this morning at breakfast?" Mokuba asked.

"Was she acting strange?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb Seto, I know you noticed," Mokuba replied with narrowed eyes. "She seemed kind of spacey today and she was mulling over a dream she had and didn't want to talk about it."

"Well let's not pressure her if she doesn't want to talk about it," I replied.

"I just don't want it to be another premonition," Mokuba said slightly downcast.

"I don't think it was a premonition Mokuba; she would've been a lot more upset if it was," I pointed out.

"True," Mokuba agreed thoughtfully. "But I'm still worried about her. She didn't seem like her usual self."

"We all have days like that Mokuba," I told him.

"I know. I just care about her and I don't like seeing her like this," Mokuba said. I sighed a bit. Maybe if I told him he'd feel more at ease about why she was like this today.

"Mokuba, I know why she's a bit off today," I told him. His eyes widened as he listened intently.

"Well? What's wrong with her?" Mokuba demanded. I sighed. This wasn't quite easy to say…

"Mokuba, Misty and I made love last night," I admitted. He looked a little confused. "Misty and I had sex last night," I clarified.

"Oh…" Mokuba replied as he seemed to understand more, but he still looked confused. "I thought she was planning to wait until marriage." Mokuba knew this?

"_Well, he does know a little more about her," my inner self pointed out. "He did spend quite a bit of time with her and Misty told him of her intentions." True…_

"Well, something made her change her mind last night. She did have some nightmares last night about her breaking her promise, and it hurt her…and it kind of hurt me too. She was probably thinking about last night during breakfast and was trying to work her way through it," I explained. Mokuba sat back and listened quietly, but everything seemed to make sense now.

"Oh…I get why she was spacey now…she was thinking about her dreams and how to recover. No wonder she didn't want to talk to me about them…"

"She probably didn't want to get you involved with our business and was trying to spare you from a talk about sex, particularly at the breakfast table." Mokuba pursed his lips and nodded sagely.

"I guess that makes sense," he replied relieved.

"Good. Alright, now that you know what happened, relax and forget about it," I told him.

"Alright," Mokuba agreed. That was awkward. We got to his school and he got out and went inside. I went to class and my groups and I presented our projects and of course I rocked them by showing how much more I knew about the subject. After class, I talked to my professors and reminded them that I did most of the work and the grades should be fairly distributed between me and my groupmates. I did more work than they did so I should get the better part of the grade. Later, Edward took me to work and of course it was the same as it had been lately- work burying me up to the eyeballs and meetings galore. I did my work, but I still kept thinking about Misty and last night. There was something I had to do to make this right, and it seemed more appropriate now that last night had happened and she had said she had wanted to save sex for her wedding night. I planned on proposing, just as soon as I could get a special ring for her and could be sure that she was recovered from last night.

"_Wow, marriage…" my inner self remarked surprised. _

"_Yes, marriage," I agreed._ Even that sounded so strange to me, yet it was so exhilarating at the same time. I would be married to Misty and it would be a happy marriage, especially if we could have more nights like last night. I couldn't wait to tell Mokuba.

I went to get Mokuba from school and he was still concerned about her.

"Mokuba, I have something to tell you," I began.

"What is it Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"As soon as I get a special ring for Misty and I know she's recovered from last night, I'm going to propose," I announced. Mokuba gaped at me surprised and then grinned hugely. His grin was so huge it looked like it would break his face if it got any wider. He threw his arms around me in as big a hug as he could manage.

"Oh Seto! I'm so excited!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"I am too, and I'm a bit nervous," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Because she could still say no," I replied. I would be so devastated if she had said no.

"Oh, she WON'T," Mokuba assured me. I smiled at his certainty.

"And I need help planning it out," I told him. Mokuba grinned hugely.

"Oh I'll help you plan it out at work," Mokuba promised. I smiled broadly at him and his eagerness.

"Looks like you got your wish," I told him.

"Yep," Mokuba grinned.

At work we finished as much work as we could manage and we started planning out how I could propose to her. I did want it to be private and with just the three of us. I didn't want it public especially since the fangirls were such heartless bitches. I remembered what they said about Misty after the accident. I shuddered at the thought of their jealous hatred for Misty and what they might do to her if word got out. There was no reason for me NOT to propose. One, I loved her so deeply and I know she loved me just as much. Last night was proof of that, and the fact that we were just so close to each other. I felt whole with her. Two, she adored Mokuba and Mokuba adored her to the point of pushing me and her together. Three, I wanted to do right by her and marry her since she swore she'd only have sex with the man she'd marry. Four, I recalled her saying that St. Peter had told her that she belonged with me and that she had work to do with me still; I figured marriage was definitely part of that kind of work. As far as the details for the proposal, I'd need to borrow her phone and get her friends' numbers to give me some ideas as to what she liked and what I'd be able to do, but right now the best I could come up with was just a simple, romantic, formal dinner…at home, outside, with roses. Yes, of course, I needed more details, but at least I had a start. I looked online for rings, and I found a gorgeous ring that was perfect for us. It was a simple, thin, silver band that flared upwards in the shape of a flame. At the heart of the flame was a pear-shaped ruby, and I decided to add hers and my birthstones, both of which looked like ice since mine was opal, and hers was aquamarine. I also realized that the ruby also represented Mokuba since that was his birthstone and he was the one that brought fire and ice together. I bookmarked the page and swore to find out her ring size and other details from her friends. I could imagine the look on her face when she saw the ring and I liked what I saw. We left the office at about 6:45 and came home at 7:00, as usual, well at least as of late. Of course we were tired but we were more affectionate and sympathetic to her tonight. We were hoping it would help her feel better. We hugged her close and she hugged us back. She pulled me closer for a deep, passionate, and happy kiss. I pulled away surprised. I was not expecting a kiss that deep or happy. I also noticed she looked quite pretty today and all dressed up, well as much as she could manage at least. What was going on?

"Misty?" I asked as I recovered from the surprise of the kiss.

"Hi Seto," Misty greeted with a smile. Something was up.

"Hi…what's going on?"

"I missed you and I feel so much better from this morning," Misty answered. That was incredibly good news. I smiled, hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"_And it looks like she's trying to look pretty for you too," my inner self observed. "She looks recovered."_

"_Good! But I still don't want to do anything to upset her. She was pretty upset last night and I just don't want to make it worse," I replied. _

"_Fair enough," my inner self replied. _

"I'm so glad," I replied.

"Yeah! Me too!" Mokuba chimed in and hugged her too.

"He was very worried about you too," I told her.

"Yeah I was. I was afraid it was another premonition, but Seto told me why you were acting so strange this morning," Mokuba replied. From the surprised look on her face, I don't think she really wanted Mokuba to know what happened last night, but I couldn't help it nor could I hide it from his sharp observations. "It's okay Misty," Mokuba whispered. She ruffled Mokuba's hair affectionately and Cynthia called us to dinner. We took our places at the dinner table and discussed the day again. God, I really didn't want to work on this loathsome work anymore, but I knew it had to be done, and at least Misty was here to help us. She helped as much as she could and we relaxed just a little bit. When we had finished, we decided to play one of Mokuba's videogames together. This was nice just playing video games with her and Mokuba. At bedtime, I had joined her wearing a full set of pajamas, top included. I didn't want to tempt her or upset her.

"_You know she's curious," my inner self told me._

"_I know, but I just don't want to make this worse. I want to wait for her to come to me when she's ready."_

I crawled into bed beside her so tiredly and I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her so tenderly. She nuzzled closer and I stroked her hair and her back while resting my head on top of hers.

"I love you so much," I told her softly and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too," she told me and started gently stroking my back. Ohhh… that felt sooo good… I smiled contentedly.

"That feels good, thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome. I hope it helps you feel better…you're so tensed up," she whispered back. My smile widened. She was so sweet and it was seriously helping me relax a bit more. She had some magic fingers on her left hand. Too bad her right hand couldn't help right now; I'd probably be turning into goo under both her hands.

"It's helping, but could you please go a little harder?" I requested. She obligingly rubbed my back a bit harder and I closed my eyes in pleasure and moaned softly.

"My poor honey is so stressed out…" Misty said soothingly, but I didn't hear her; I was busy enjoying this back rub. I wished she'd done this sooner. Oh God I could seriously get used to this every night. I was feeling so soothed and relaxed I ended up falling asleep happily and I pulled her closer to me. I couldn't wait to marry her.


	9. Technology and Valentines

**A/N: WARNING:** This chapter contains graphic sexual material. If you do not like lemons, you may skip the marked sections containing the graphic sexual content.

**A/N2:** The graphic sexual material will hereafter only be during pivotal moments in this story in which it is necessary. The other times will be a general allusion to sexual activities.

* * *

~Back to My POV~

One week later…

Seto and I had woken up to the sound of my alarm clock in my room and went about our morning business as usual, except today Seto wasn't going to go to work today. He'd taken today off because it was going to be a fairly big day for me; Today, I was going to have my casts removed and the doctor was going to see my healing progress, and right after that as long as he had the doctor's okay, we were going to go visit this medical company to get that robotic aid Seto had told me about put on. I couldn't wait to try it out and go through physical therapy to help get me moving again. I hated being stuck in that wheelchair. Perhaps if I was strong enough I could start working again, but I doubted Seto and Mokuba would allow that yet. They really did need me, but they really wanted me to heal first.

After breakfast, Cynthia helped dress me in a side-zippered dress.

"So, ready to move around a bit better?" Cynthia asked with a smile.

"You know it," I replied. "I'm so sick of being in this wheelchair."

"I bet. " Cynthia agreed. "It can be so cumbersome."

"Oh yeah," I agreed as Cynthia finished up and helped me do something with this impossible, chocolate hair of mine. She French braided my hair. I honestly hadn't had a French braid since I was 13. "Wow it looks good! Thank you!" I thanked her.

"You're welcome Misty," Cynthia smiled and then helped me finish getting ready and I wheeled out of the room and Seto and Mokuba smiled.

"You look pretty Misty," Mokuba complimented me. I smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Thank you kiddo," I replied and kissed his cheek.

"Alright, let's get you to school and you to the doctor," Seto said as he pointed to Mokuba first and then me.

"Alright don't get your panties in a wad," I teased and rolled out the door. At the top of the steps, Seto picked me up out of the chair and carried me down the steps while a couple of the servants compacted my wheelchair and put it in the trunk of the limo while Edward opened the door and helped Seto get me situated inside and then Seto and Mokuba joined me and Edward started driving us.

"I bet it's going to feel so good to be free from those casts," Mokuba remarked.

"Oh you have no idea," I told him. "I'm dying to be freed."

"And I bet you're eager to try out the robotic aid," Seto added.

"Yeah, I am. I can't wait to move around again." I curled up against Seto totally excited about feeling almost normal. The excitement surged through the limo as we got to Mokuba's school.

"Bye Misty! Can't wait to see you without your casts and with your robotic aid!" Mokuba bade and hugged me and then Seto before hopping out and going inside.

Edward then took us to the hospital and then helped Seto get my wheelchair out and then helped get me out and put me in the wheelchair. We wheeled inside and went to the floor the doctor was on and waited in the waiting room. Seto held my hand and stroked my fingers and knuckles with his thumb. He particularly rubbed my left ring finger which I found a bit odd.

"_I think he might be thinking of putting a ring on that finger," my inner self said with a Cheshire cat grin. _

_I couldn't help but smile inwardly at the thought of being his wife._ I squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he whispered back and kissed my forehead. We waited for about 15 minutes before the doctor called for me.

"Misty Robinson?" He asked and held the door for me. Seto followed right behind me as I wheeled past the doctor and was shown to a room with a bed that was connected to a bunch of round, motorized saws. The doctor then shut the door.

"Hello Ms. Robinson. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked with a cheerful, friendly, expression as he readied his pen and clipboard.

"I'm feeling alright. I want to move around," I retorted.

"Have you been feeling a lot of pain lately?" the doctor asked as he started writing notes and looked up at me.

"No, not lately. Mr. Kaiba has ensured that my nurse and Cynthia, the head of his household staff, have been giving me proper nutrition and that I don't overexert myself. They've also been giving me my pain meds when I need them. I haven't needed as much medication lately. The doctor's hand flew across the page as he wrote his notes down.

"Are you getting plenty of rest during the day and getting a full night's sleep?"

"Yes I am."

"Have you been feeling lethargic at all?"

"Well, mostly just bored from not being able to do much," I admitted honestly. The doctor nodded as he wrote more notes down and asked me more mundane questions. After about 15 minutes of questions and answers, it was time to get the casts off and see my healing progress.

"I'll need you to remove your dress and put on this gown," the doctor instructed me as he got out a fresh gown for me and then stepped out of the room and shut the door. I looked to Seto.

"Do you want me to step out?" he asked.

"I need your help…" I replied. He smiled a little and then started to unzip my dress and I saw he tensed up a little.

"Easy, easy," I told him softly. I knew he was getting excited at seeing my body again.

"I know," he replied and calmed himself down as he removed my dress from my body and I was lying on the table wearing only a string bikini panty. He ogled my body again a moment and then helped me with the gown, leaving it open on my right side as I lay on my left side so the doctor could saw my casts off.

"This is it," I told Seto with a smile. He smiled back, kissed my head, opened the door, and brought the doctor in again. The doctor shut the door and then started getting his saw ready. Seto stood by me and held my hand. He looked nervous with the saws and he squeezed my hand tighter.

"Relax," I whispered to him. He was sweet to want to be protective over me, but having casts sawn off wasn't really new to me; I'd had surgery on my ankles and had to wear casts and then get them taken off when I was about 12. The doctor donned a mask, goggles, and a pair of gloves and then started up the saw.

"That's not going to hurt her is it?" Seto demanded.

"No. I won't cut her," the doctor promised. Seto narrowed his eyes at the doctor trying to figure out whether or not he should trust him.

"It's okay. We're here to get these off," I reminded him gently. Seto was still leery of the doctor as the doctor brought the saw close to my casts and started slicing through them and pulled them away. I gasped at the sensation each time a cast was pulled away. I felt so weird and so light when the doctor had finished.

"Alright, let's go get your right side x-rayed and see how your bones are," the doctor announced. Seto helped secure my gown and then carried me into the x-ray room.

"You'll have to wait outside the room," the doctor told Seto. Seto looked at me and then sighed reluctantly agreeing to wait outside the room.

"Alright Ms. Robinson, you're not pregnant are you?" the doctor asked.

"Um, I don't think I am, but I don't know," I admitted. Oh crap…I very well COULD be pregnant…we hadn't used protection, and it was too late for any backups… Well, I'll just have to wait and find out later because I didn't feel any different yet. I was going to have to get more information on pregnancy.

"Alright, we'll use this lead vest for your protection," the doctor replied and fastened a lead vest to my front and then positioned me on the x-ray table. I waited patiently for the doctor to finish taking my x-rays and compliantly moved how he wanted me to so he could get a good picture. He finished a few minutes later, took the lead vest off of me, and allowed Seto to come back in. Seto picked me up off the table and carried me back to the room we'd been in before. He sat me on the table and sat in the chair beside the bed holding my hand while we waited. About 10 minutes later, the doctor came in with the x-rays and put them against the light on the wall.

"So, how's it looking?" I asked hoping to hear some good news.

"From here it looks like you're healing pretty well and you look as good as new. All you need to really do now is work on exercising that right side of yours so you can move around normally. I recommend starting physical therapy as soon as possible," the doctor replied with a smile.

"Doctor, I have a question," Seto began and pulled out a printed email. "I'd like your permission to put a robotic aid on her to assist in her recovery," Seto added and showed the doctor the email. The doctor read the email and nodded thoughtfully.

"I don't see any reason why not. I'm actually quite intrigued with the idea, and this is a reputable company. I'd like to see how this works for her. However, one caveat: if it doesn't work, take it off of her immediately and don't use it again. I don't want to make things worse for her. I also want her to keep a journal of her experience with this robotic aid so the medical world will know how well this works," the doctor replied. Seto and I smiled.

"Thank you," we replied. The doctor smiled back.

"You're welcome. Alright, let's get those stitches removed," the doctor replied and grabbed a scalpel and looked at my scars with stitches. Seto held my hand and watched the doctor closely. "Your scars are looking so good," he remarked with a smile and then cut the stitches with the scalpel, removed the remains, and put a scar fading cream over them, and any other scar that was exposed. "You may get dressed now," the doctor told me and then left the room and shut the door. I took off the hospital gown and Seto dressed me again and kissed me. The doctor came back in.

"Alright Ms. Robinson, I want you to attend physical therapy Monday-Friday for 3 weeks and I want you to come back and see me for a follow-up after your last physical therapy appointment. I also want you to stretch some rubber bands and do these exercises," the doctor instructed as he got a few different colored, long rubber bands and a sheet of paper describing some exercises for me to do. "Oh and of course don't forget to write a journal describing your experience with the robotic aid," the doctor added with a smile and handed me a business card to the physical therapy office. We made our appointment, and Seto paid for the visit and got the doctor's written permission to use the robotic aid. I still had my wheelchair and I wheeled to the limo. Seto and Edward put me in the limo and put my wheelchair in the trunk. Seto then got in, held me close, and stroked my right side. I couldn't help trembling with pleasure.

"It feels so nice to hold you without the casts in the way," he whispered.

"It feels nice to cuddle with you without the casts in the way," I replied and nuzzled closer. He smiled and gave me a light kiss. We rested a bit in a comfortable silence until we got to the medical company that had proposed the robotic aid idea to Seto.

"Mr. Kaiba! So good of you to come and see us!" A man greeted him enthusiastically and shook his hand. "I'm David Howell. I sent the email to you," he introduced himself. I noticed he was pretty tall, had red hair, green eyes, glasses, and was wearing scrubs. Mr. Howell then looked at me. "So, you must be Misty Robinson," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Seto and I greeted.

"I'm so excited to be able to help you Ms. Robinson," Mr. Howell told me with an eager smile.

"I'm excited to move again," I replied.

"Of course," Mr. Howell agreed. Seto then handed him the doctor's orders that granted permission to have me fitted for the robotic aid to try out. Mr. Howell read over it and smiled widely. "Come along, let's get you fitted," he instructed and led me to a room with wires and monitors covering the walls. I'd never seen anything like it before. There was another room past this one and Mr. Howell was talking to a couple ladies and they came into the room after us. Seto picked me up out of my wheelchair and helped hold me up while the ladies measured me and wrote the measurements down. Seto helped me sit back down and about an hour later, Mr. Howell and a few other scientists came in holding the robotic aid. Seto and Mr. Howell picked me up out of the chair again and started fitting it onto me. I had to admit I felt pretty awkward, but whatever.

"Alright, let's see how it works," Mr. Howell said excitedly as soon as they finished strapping me in. I felt like a cyborg. I tried lifting and moving my arm and I could feel the robotic aid doing most of the work.

"The aid can tell how much effort you're exerting and works accordingly. The more effort you put into moving, the more it's going to work. The less effort you put into moving your limbs, the less it's going to work and the more independent you'll be." Mr. Howell explained. "Please take it off every night before bed and anytime you're about to enter water. To take it off, you only have to unlatch the chains on one side. To clean it off, use a slightly damp washcloth and then dry it off once you've cleaned it. We want to see you in 3 weeks, after you've gone to physical therapy and seen your doctor. We'll do an assessment and evaluation to see if we need to keep it on you or not and we'll be reviewing your journal about your experience with it to see if we need to fix anything and to see how well it works." Mr. Howell instructed.

"Okay," I replied with a nod. Mr. Howell then led us to a workout area and then put me on a machine. I did the exercise he wanted me to and he and the rest of his team were rapidly and eagerly writing everything they observed down.

I went from machine to machine doing the exercises while they made observations and got quite a good workout in. I sat down and Mr. Howell took the aid off, showed me how to clean and dry it, helped ice my limbs, and dried me off. He put the aid back on me and helped stand me up.

"See you in 3 weeks!" He bade excitedly. Seto held my hand and we actually walked out of there. One of Mr. Howell's assistants brought the wheelchair to the limo for us. I put myself in the car while Seto and Edward compacted the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Seto climbed in beside me and held me close to him. I could tell he was excited about this too.

"I'm liking this robotic aid already. It was nice seeing you move a bit normally again," he told me and kissed my forehead.

"I couldn't agree more. This is such a brilliant idea," I replied as I nuzzled closer.

"Let's go get some lunch and then go get Mokuba," Seto suggested.

"Alright." Seto called Edward and instructed him to take us to a nice restaurant, the very same one we went to on our first date.

"Feeling nostalgic, are we?" I teased lightly. Seto smiled back.

"A little, but it's also a bit of a special occasion."

"And what occasion is that, pray tell?"

"Your freedom from your casts and you're moving again," Seto explained as if it were obvious.

"Ah right," I replied.

"What'd you think it was?"

"Nothing," well it was true I didn't think it was any particular kind of special occasion. Seto looked at me skeptically a moment but continued to hold me close.

"_That was weird," my inner self remarked._

"_What was?" I asked._

"_The way he looked at you when you said nothing."_

"_What do you think is up?" _

"_He's planning a special occasion. The way he looked at you skeptically after he asked what special occasion did you think it was and you answered nothing, and the way he rubbed your left ring finger at the doctor's office seems to indicate that he's planning to propose really soon!" my inner self explained eagerly. I smiled inwardly and also chuckled. I remembered the last time we were here Paolo and everyone else thought he just proposed when he hadn't. Could it be today at lunch?_

"_I don't know if it will be here, but I know he wants to make it special," my inner self added. _

"_Of course," I agreed. _

It wasn't long before we arrived at the restaurant and were seated in the same private booth as last time, and of course, Paolo was our waiter again.

"Hello again Mr. Kaiba and Misty! It is so good to see you again!" Paolo greeted with a smile and then he looked at me. "What happened to you?"

"I'm recovering after an accident," I explained. Paolo nodded in understanding.

"I see. What can I get for you to drink? Wine?"

"Not today," Seto replied. "We'll both have some teas."

"Yes sir Mr. Kaiba," Paolo replied, bowed and left us after leaving us some bread and dipping oil. Seto glanced at me and smirked.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"Want to have an almost repeat performance of last time?" Seto asked.

"Maybe," I replied. Seto's smirk widened a little.

"The only differences is I don't have to ask you something, we're drinking tea, and I'm not as nervous around you," Seto replied. Ah, so he wasn't going to propose here.

"I take it you want spaghetti again?" I asked teasingly.

"Yes. The spaghetti tastes really good when it's coupled with your kiss," Seto replied playfully.

"I should hope so," I teased back and Seto chuckled a little and kissed me. I kissed back and then pulled away with a chuckle of my own.

"Couldn't wait for the spaghetti, huh?" I teased.

"Nope," Seto agreed with a grin. He got up and closed the curtain again and kissed me deeply. I kissed back, running my fingers through his hair.

"Here are your teas," Paolo announced interrupting us. I was about to pull away, but Seto kept me in the kiss and waved Paolo to go away. Paolo backed away and left us alone. We were making out in the booth until we had to pull away to breathe. Seto and I grinned at each other and he held me close again, stroking my arm tenderly. Paolo returned a few minutes later looking a little awkwardly at us.

"So, what would you like to eat today?" Paolo asked.

"One large spaghetti plate to share, again," Seto replied. Paolo wrote the order down and then disappeared again. I felt so content resting against Seto so cozily and with him stroking my hair.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear.

"I love you too," I whispered back and he kissed my cheek.

A little while later, Paolo returned with our large spaghetti plate and a couple smaller plates for each of us. We heaped a pile onto our plates and found some really long noodles again. Every time we met in the middle and kissed, we smiled and extended the kiss just a few seconds longer. When we finished our spaghetti, Paolo returned to ask if we wanted some tiramisu again.

"Sure," I agreed and smiled at Seto.

A few minutes later, Paolo had brought the tiramisu and the bill.

"I have an idea," I began.

"Oh? What's your idea?" Seto asked.

"We could feed each other the tiramisu," I suggested.

"Alright," Seto agreed and we each speared a piece of the tiramisu with our forks and fed it to each other one at a time. We savored each bite and then finished it, gave each other a kiss, paid the bill and left a tip for Paolo, and left.

"Let's go show Mokuba," Seto suggested as we got back in the limo.

A few minutes later, we had come to Mokuba's school. Seto helped me climb out of the limo and I noticed the outside of the school was quiet. I guess school hadn't let out yet. Edward went and parked the limo and Seto and I started walking inside. I still couldn't believe I was walking again!

"We're early. How long before school lets out?" I asked Seto.

"He'll be out in about 20 minutes," Seto replied as we sat down on a bench in front of the office to wait for him. We chatted idly while we waited for 20 minutes until the bell rang and students poured out into the hallways staring at us curiously, but they went about their ways getting ready to go home. We scanned the crowds looking for Mokuba.

"There he is," Seto told me as he pointed him out.

"Mokuba!" We both called to him and he immediately looked up. He smiled, waved, and then ran to us like an eager puppy.

"Seto! Misty!" He called out and a few kids were staring. We smiled and stood up as he gave us an embrace excitedly. "Misty! You're standing! And Walking!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Yes, I am," I confirmed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "This robotic aid is freakin' awesome!" I exclaimed excitedly and showed him how the aid worked.

"Wow Misty!" Mokuba grinned widely. Of course, now we had quite a crowd watching us.

"What are all of you looking at?" Seto growled and tried to shoo them away. The crowd reluctantly dispersed grumbling.

"Sweetie relax," I whispered through my teeth. Seto growled a little in annoyance and folded his arms while I continued to show Mokuba my aid for a few more minutes until we left. Mokuba and Seto were fascinated watching me walking back to the limo.

"Like the view from back there guys?" I teased.

"Yep," they replied with a smile. "It's nice watching you walking again." I smiled as they caught up and we got in. I heard a message alert on Seto's phone and watched him look at the text and smile a little.

"What's up?" I asked curiously.

"An important piece came in today," Seto explained cryptically, earning a quizzical look from me. What was up with him? "I need to stop by the office for a moment to pick it up and we can go home."

"Okay," Mokuba and I replied. A few minutes later, Edward parked in front of Kaiba Corp.

"I'll be right back," Seto announced and got out of the limo. Ten minutes later, he came back holding a small box and got back in.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A metal holograph ring," Seto answered. Something felt off about the way he answered. It just seemed like his answer was prepared and not natural.

"Okay…"I replied not knowing what else to say.

"What?" Seto demanded.

"Nothing…" I replied. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Tell me," he commanded and gazed into my eyes hoping to make me spill that way.

"It's nothing!" I assured him. He continued to stare at me. I sighed exasperated. "I have nothing to say!" I insisted and he sighed and left me alone. We chatted with Mokuba and I knew he knew something was up.

We went back to the mansion, worked on some pressing homework and projects they had, and played videogames together. I was particularly excited about playing a racing game with them; I was pretty good at those.

"Y'all are going down!" I declared.

"In your dreams!" they bantered back.

"No, in YOUR dreams! Now let's get the show on the road!" I declared and Mokuba set up the game for us.

They played hard, but I managed to beat them easily, especially when I vaulted in front of them and crossed the finish line first.

"HAHA! SCORE! SCORE! What was that now about me winning only in my dreams?" I smirked and chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah…" they replied rolling their eyes playfully.

"How'd you get so good at racing games?" Mokuba asked.

"I play racing games all the time whenever I visit an arcade," I answered with a nonchalant shrug.

"Ah, I see," Mokuba replied. "That was so much fun," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, it was," I agreed. It wasn't long before Cynthia called us down to dinner.

Later, when it was time for bed…

"Goodnight Seto and Misty," Mokuba bade with a hug as he ascended the stairs to his room.

"Goodnight Mokuba," we bade back. Once he had disappeared, Seto looked at me with a small smile on his face.

"Hey Misty, how about we sleep in my room?" Seto suggested hopefully.

"Sure. Just let me get changed first," I replied and then started walking to my room to change. I waved Seto along so he could help me and he followed like an eager puppy. He took off my aid and then slowly unzipped my dress and slid it off my body. His eyes roved over my body hungrily and I heard a low groan indicating he was getting turned on. I heard a slight whine as his hands trembled like they were aching to touch me, but he didn't dare to. He slipped a loose nightgown over my head and pulled it down savoring the touch that way. He put the robotic aid back on and held my hand as we walked to the stairs. I took a deep breath and slowly started going up the steps while Seto held my hand and stayed at my side watching with a fascinated, proud smile. I can't believe I was actually climbing up the stairs again with this thing!

We went to his room and I sat on the bed and he took my aid off. I lay on the bed and watched him change with a smile. His body looked sexy and tempting. I noticed he smirked as I watched him.

"Like what you see?" he asked.

"As always," I replied. His smirk widened and he crawled on the bed hovering over me and kissed me deeply. I kissed back running my fingers through his hair and down his back and he started kissing my neck and collarbone and he pressed his hard erection against my hips and then pulled away.

"Sorry…" he apologized sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," I assured him. He smiled a half-smile and then lay next to me and pulled me close running his fingers through my hair. I gently pushed some hair out of his face and caressed his cheek gently.

"I love you," he whispered and kissed my forehead and my lips softly.

"I love you too," I whispered back and cuddled closer against him and fell asleep. My dreams were actually happy, pleasant dreams about being a Blue Eyes White Dragon flying high in the sky and doing all sorts of tricks with Seto riding on my back. It was odd, but it was a happy dream, so I really didn't care what it was about.

The next day, I awoke to a surprise. I noticed Seto wasn't in bed with me, but the bed and I were covered with rose petals. What in the world was going on? I also noticed there was a bouquet of roses on the foot of the bed with a card. I picked up the card and smiled. He picked out a funny and sweet Valentine's card for me. Wait a minute…this was Valentine's Day…Oh shit! I forgot all about Valentine's Day! Shit…I needed to do something sweet for Seto and Mokuba for today, but what?

"_Easy. Sally and Edward could take you shopping at the mall and you could get some chocolate and a videogame for Mokuba and…you seem pretty cool with you and Seto seeing each other naked and you know he wants you so bad again…" my inner self pointed out. _

"_Yeah…" I concurred seeing her point. _

"_How do you feel?" she demanded._

"_I'm not sure. I'll get back to you on that," I replied. _I looked up and saw Seto come out of the bathroom still a little wet with a towel around his waist, and smelling so sexy. He saw me and smiled and kissed me.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love," he greeted.

"Happy Valentine's Day, mi amor," I replied. I noticed he shuddered a little. I chuckled a little bit at his shuddering. "You like me speaking in Spanish?"

"I'm starting to, especially if you say it like that…and I can understand you." I laughed a little.

"I remember when you got so pissy and irritated when I spoke in Spanish that day when you taught me how to duel."

"Yes because I couldn't understand you and I was in no mood for it, but then again you did help tremendously with Sr. Maldonado," he replied.

"Yep, I did. I'm glad you're warming up to it."

"Mhm." Seto agreed and kissed me again. He pulled away to breathe and he looked into my eyes, smiled, and picked up my left hand and kissed it. "You'll get your Valentine's surprise tonight," he promised.

"You too," I promised. Seto smiled, lingered and then let the towel drop from his waist and started to walk to his closet and dresser and get his clothes to wear for the day. I was enjoying watching his naked body move and I was a little disappointed when it disappeared under his clothes.

"Enjoy the show?" Seto asked teasingly.

"Yep," I smirked and he kissed me again. "I also loved the roses and the card," I told him once I pulled away.

"I figured you would," he smiled proudly as he helped put the aid back on me and helped me downstairs to eat breakfast. This morning, Cynthia had made chocolate chip strawberry muffins.

"Hey Cynthia! Happy Valentine's Day!" I greeted.

"Good morning Misty. Happy Valentine's Day!" she greeted in return with a smile. Seto greeted her too, and then Mokuba suddenly came up and gave me a hug.

"Happy Valentine's Day Misty, Seto!" Mokuba greeted and then gave Seto a hug. Seto smiled at his brother and ruffled his hair affectionately. We sat down for breakfast chatting about Valentine's Day and how we'd never really celebrated it before today…granted my family got me gifts and I passed around Valentine cards when I was in elementary school, but I never got excited about the holiday. Seto and Mokuba never got excited about the holiday either because they only really had each other, and they didn't really do anything at the orphanage for Valentine's Day. Today was our first real Valentine's Day we could truly be excited about. The excitement actually felt like a strong electric current buzzing through and around us.

As usual, Seto and Mokuba left when Sally had arrived.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" I greeted.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Sally echoed with a smile as she saw my robotic aid. "Oh! You got a robotic aid!" I showed off how I can move with this aid and she was impressed. "That's the coolest thing I've seen!" She remarked.

"I know! I can actually move almost like I used to!" I squealed with excitement.

"That's so exciting!" Sally agreed with a big bright smile.

"Yeah! I'm actually the guinea pig for this aid and if it works well, they'll publish my diary entries and actually use this for therapy for anyone who's injured and rebuilding muscle!" I chattered excitedly.

"That's awesome!" Sally told me. I told her what the doctor said and had instructed me to do and she nodded in understanding. We talked a little more when Sally asked me about my plans with Seto and Mokuba tonight.

"Well, I need to go to the mall because I promised something special for him and I need to get a gift for Mokuba, and maybe some cards. Maybe you could help me?" I asked with a hopeful smile.

"Sure, I'll see what I can do," Sally assured me. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm not totally sure…but one idea I did have was dressing in sexy lingerie and have him undress me and make love to me again…" I replied.

"That could work. I'm sure he'd really enjoy that," Sally nodded. "But are you sure you want to do that? I don't want you to do anything you might regret later."

"I think I am…" I replied.

"I want you to be absolutely sure before we go out and you buy the lingerie for that," Sally instructed. "I'll give you a couple hours to think about it," she added.

"Fair enough," I agreed.

"But in the meanwhile, I want you to try writing your journal and doing some exercises with the rubber bands," Sally instructed.

"Aye Aye, Captain," I playfully saluted. I did my exercises as instructed and then booted up my laptop, typed up a journal entry about my experiences thus far with the robotic aid. When I had finished and saved it, I closed my laptop and thought about whether or not I should buy the lingerie and make love to him tonight. I closed my eyes to think about it. I saw his lustful desire in his eyes whenever he saw my body, but he was reluctant to touch me, and I saw this morning when he walked around naked in his room getting dressed while I watched and I couldn't stop staring and watching. I froze the image of his nudity in my head and I was starting to get turned on.

"_So that's a yes then?" my inner self spoke to me so suddenly surprising me. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you…"_

"_You could've eased yourself into my thoughts you know…" I replied irritably. _

"_Sorry! Gah!" she replied exasperated. We both calmed down. "So, I take it from your fantasizing about his naked body from this morning to mean that you're ready?"_

"_I think so…" I replied. _

"_That's not good enough…" she told me._

"_Yeah, it turned me on, but I don't know…"I admitted. _

"_You froze the image in your head and it was making you horny," my inner self pointed out. _

"_Yeah…" I replied not knowing what else to say._

"_I say go for it. Y'all are both horny for each other, and it's an act of love…hence why it's called 'making love'…" my inner self encouraged with air quotes on the end._

"_I know…" I replied annoyed. I shook my head to clear it and closed my eyes again trying to make a clear decision. Thankfully, my inner self stayed silent while I pondered it and was listening to what my heart wanted. _

"_Yes or no?" I asked my heart. I waited a few minutes for my answer and could feel my heart beat faster at the idea of making love to him again. It beat faster when I remembered how happy and connected we were the first time. I smiled also knowing he loved me enough to be willing to wait for me again and that he definitely wasn't going to leave me; if anything he was going to propose and stay for the long haul. _

"_It's official…I'm going to make love to him again tonight," I declared. My inner self smiled. _

"_Fantastic! Now let's go tell Sally," my inner self commanded. _I got up and found Sally reading a magazine in the living room. She looked up and smiled.

"You decided?" She asked.

"I have. Let's go to the mall and shop for lingerie," I declared. Sally smiled and got up, putting her magazine away. "I'm going to need your help getting into it later," I added.

"Sure dear," Sally agreed. I called Edward to bring the limo and asked if he could take us to the mall. Sally helped me dress quickly and we were getting in the limo. I picked up the phone to call Edward up front.

"Happy Valentine's Day Edward," I told him.

"Thank you Misty," Edward replied. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Aside from taking us to the mall and home? Nah, nothing I can think of. I just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day," I replied.

"Well thank you. That was sweet of you," Edward replied with a smile and then hung up the phone and drove us to the mall.

First, Sally took me to a spa to get prettied up and groomed for tonight. I got a mani-pedi, a massage, and a Brazilian wax…ouch…but at least I looked good and felt smooth for tonight. Sally helped me dress again and helped put my robotic aid back on and we walked to a video game store. We walked around and looked for a game for Mokuba, bought it, and then went to a lingerie store. As we walked around I noticed people were staring at me and my robotic aid like I was a freak. I gave them a look back but I ignored them focusing on my mission. The lingerie lady was pretty nice and very helpful in picking out some lingerie for me. I was glad for her help…there were too many sexy options, but I decided on getting a blue silk brocade corset with garter straps, a matching lace thong, and some thigh-high stockings. I couldn't wait to see Seto's reaction when he saw this. I bought the lingerie and then we went t a card store to pick out some Valentine's cards for Seto, Mokuba, Edward, Cynthia, Sally, and the girls. I bought the cards and handed Sally's to her.

"Aww, Misty, you didn't have to do that…" Sally told me with a smile.

"Yes I did. You've made quite a difference to me, and I consider you a friend," I insisted and also bought her a big brownie at the bakery.

"Thank you," Sally said and gave me a hug. We walked around the mall for a while longer and I noticed they had a shop like Spencer's back home. I was sure I could pick up some naughty stuff for tonight. Sally decided not to go with me inside and instead sat on a bench while I went in and looked around. I laughed at the stupid innuendo phrases on the shirts and found all the sex stuff in the back. So many choices…I better start small…I picked up some edible body paint and a book on positions to try. Oh…Seto was so going to enjoy these positions. I may have to come back and get more of this stuff another time. I bought the paint and the position book and smiled a little.

"Find what you needed?" Sally asked as she rose from her bench.

"Yep," I grinned. We shopped for a little while longer until we both decided to go home. Funny, it seemed as if Sally was trying to keep us here at the mall until now. Oh well, I wasn't worried about it. We came back to the mansion and Sally helped bathe me and get me dressed into the lingerie…and also into my gala dress. Odd…why was I wearing this? I thought we weren't going after all.

"What's going on? Why am I wearing my gala dress?" I asked.

"I'm not allowed to say," Sally replied.

"Why not?" I demanded irritably.

"Orders and it's a surprise," Sally replied. I wondered if this had anything to do with Seto's promise for something special tonight.

"Okay…" I replied unsure of what else to say. I handed Edward and Cynthia their cards and they smiled delighted as they read their cards.

"Thank you Misty," they told me.

We passed the time by hanging out in the living room and then at about 7:00, as usual, Seto and Mokuba came home.

"Hey guys!" I greeted eagerly and got up and hugged them.

"Hey Misty! Have a good day?" Mokuba asked.

"I sure did," I replied and ruffled his hair a little. "I have something for you," I whispered to him.

"You do?" Mokuba asked eagerly. I smiled and nodded and went to my room for a moment and grabbed his gift.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I told him. He grinned and shredded the wrapping paper and read the card. His smile widened as he saw the videogame and he hugged me tight.

"Thank you Misty!" Mokuba then let me go for a minute and went to his backpack and got out a small box and put it in my hand.

"This is for you. Happy Valentine's Day," he told me. I opened it and inside was a silver bracelet with turquoise beads. I smiled and hugged him.

"It's beautiful Mokuba. Thank you," I replied and hugged him again.

"My turn," Seto replied and led me and Mokuba outside. I was breathtaken by the sight of a small table for the 3 of us. On top of the table sat a huge bouquet of red, white, yellow, and orange roses in a blue crystal vase which was surrounded by floating tealights. On the ground surrounding the table were rose petals. The sky was alight on fire from the sunset. There was music. Upon closer listening, I could hear Josh Groban crooning on a portable stereo. Cynthia and a few servants were dressed up and going to wait on us. I felt Seto grab my right hand while Mokuba grabbed my left and led me to the table and both pulled out my chair. I smiled and sat down and they pushed me in and took their own seats. Cynthia and the servants moved the vase out of the way and served us dinner- beef fajitas, tortillas, taco trimmings, and iced tea to drink. I chuckled delighted; it was a dish to remind me of home. Seto and Mokuba smiled at my delight and we dug in enjoying it while watching the sunset. For dessert, we had angel food cake topped with white icing, cinnamon, and chocolate covered strawberries. God it was so rich…Cynthia did a helluva job.

After we finished, Cynthia pressed a button and "When You Say You Love Me" started playing. Seto took my hand and I looked at him and he kissed me softly for a few seconds and then handed me a red rose with a blue ribbon tied around the stem, holding a beautiful silver band that flared out and swirled at the front in the shape of a flame holding 3 stones, a round-cut aquamarine, a pear-shaped ruby, and a round cut opal, from top to bottom with the ruby directly in the center. I gasped at the beauty of the ring and when I looked up from the ring, I saw Seto kneeling in front of me and Mokuba was standing so he could watch. I gasped again when I realized he was proposing…Oh my God…it was actually happening! My heart was racing like a Lamborghini on the Autobahn.

"Misty, we love you so much. We don't know what we'd do without you. When you came into our lives, it was a blessing and a miracle that heaven sent such a beautiful angel to us. I know it sounds corny, but I don't care…it's how we feel. You make us so happy, you're the first to love us for us, and you're the first to get us to open up.

"You know I don't trust anyone except you, Mokuba, and my most loyal staff. I was honored to accept your…gift last week. I want to do right by you since you were saving it for the man you marry. I want to be your man, forever. And I also remember when you said you felt like a bride your first day here when I carried you in after you were released from the hospital and I had said soon. I meant it. What I'm trying…to say…is…W-will…you…m-marry…me?" Seto asked and he was so cute so nervous and so red. I had to be dreaming. I was so speechless with surprise. I grinned broadly.

"Y-YES! I WILL MARRY YOU!" I exclaimed and he got up and hugged me tightly so happily. Mokuba joined in on the hug too. Seto kissed me so passionately and I happily kissed back. I WAS ENGAGED NOW! Like the Avalon song "The Best Thing" went "It feels like I'm flying with my feet on the ground." We parted from the embrace and he untied the ribbon from the rose and slipped the ring on my finger. I held my hand out and admired my ring.

"It's so beautiful!" I exclaimed giddily.

"He designed it specially for you," Mokuba told me.

"I'm proud to wear a work of art like this on my finger," I replied. Seto beamed proudly and kissed me again.

"I'm the happiest man in the world right now! Oh, and everything tonight is symbolic. The color of the roses, the sunset, the gown, the music, the food, and the ring. The florist says roses classically represent love, but the colors mean different kinds of love. These colors represent the kind of love I have for you. Red is for deep love, white is for the purity of our love and that it's a first love, yellow is for our friendship within our love, and orange is for the burning passion I feel for you." I smiled at the symbolism he explained with the roses.

"The sunset was symbolic because it's your favorite time of day. The gown you're wearing was meant for Valentine's Day but it also looked beautiful on you and I know you wanted to wear it; I wanted you to have some use out of it tonight. Josh Groban playing in the background was because he's one of your favorite singers and the song is one of your favorite love songs and it describes how I feel about you. The fajitas were to make you feel at home. The angel food cake with the cinnamon and chocolate strawberries was to show my opinion of you- a spicy, sweet, and sexy angel.

"The ring is to represent fire and ice-us. You're fire and we're ice. The aquamarine on top represents you, the ruby in the center of the flame represents Mokuba, and the opal on the bottom represents me. Mokuba's ruby in the center represents how he helped bring us together. The ruby is also the heart of the flame that is melting the ice from within with love. I put your aquamarine stone on top to show that you're the angel up on high watching us, and I put myself on the bottom because I put you and Mokuba before me always. You two are the reason for my happiness," Seto explained.

"_Awww…that's a beautiful explanation!" My inner self gushed. _I was so touched by his reasons and all the thought he put into this I actually teared up.

"Misty? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked. I broke down crying tears of happiness and hugged them both.

"I'm just… so touched… and so… happy," I managed to get out while crying. They held me tight and Seto wiped my tears with a napkin and kissed me again and stroked my hair. When they pulled away, Seto and Mokuba sat back in their chairs and were smiling.

"I had no idea you were such a deep artist," I told Seto. Mokuba chuckled a little and Seto beamed with pride but shrugged coolly.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied trying to play it cool but I could tell he was soaring. "So, are you excited to become Mrs. Kaiba?"

"You bet I am!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm so excited! You're going to be my sister officially!" Mokuba gushed excitedly. I smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I sure am," I concurred.

"I can't wait!" Mokuba exclaimed. He was practically bouncing now.

"Neither can I," Seto and I both replied together, making us all chuckle.

"Let's make a toast, to a happy future," I declared and raised my tea glass. Seto and Mokuba followed suit and raised theirs.

"Here, here!" They agreed and clinked their glasses with mine. We took a long drink of our tea to seal the toast.

"So, when are you two planning to get married?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"We don't know yet Mokuba," Seto replied.

"Hmmm…well, maybe we can get married this summer, in October, or around Christmas," I suggested.

"I'd prefer the summer," Seto replied.

"Alright, summer it is," I agreed and stuck my hand out to shake his. Seto shook my hand and we smiled.

"I can't wait for the summer!" Mokuba gushed with glee. "Wow! We have a lot of planning to do!"

"Yes, Mokuba, but let's not worry abut that RIGHT now," I replied and hugged him.

"I know, but I'm just so excited!"

"We know," Seto and I replied with grins.

"I'm impressed with how y'all thought of everything," I told Seto and Mokuba.

"I had a lot of help from Cynthia, Sally, the staff, Mokuba, and your girlfriends," Seto admitted. I could see Cynthia's and the staff's faces beam with pride and happiness. I got up and went to hug them and thank them. I also hugged Mokuba and vowed to call my girlfriends later and thank them. Better yet, I should probably have a girls' night for them, but that could wait for later.

"Tonight was perfect," I told him and hugged him while inhaling his intoxicating scent. He smiled and kissed me and time just slowed down. When I pulled away, I whispered in his ear. "My turn to give you your Valentine."

"What is it?" Seto asked curiously and eagerly.

"You'll see. But first…" I began and went and hugged Mokuba again. "Thank you again Mokuba."

"You're welcome Misty," Mokuba replied with a big smile.

"Good night," I bade.

"Good night," Mokuba and Seto echoed together. Mokuba started to get a Cheshire cat grin and then went upstairs to his room. I grabbed Seto's hand and led him up the stairs to his room. Once inside, I shut and locked the door while he stared at me confused, and then went to the bed.

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read graphic sexual content_

* * *

"So what is it?" he asked. Seriously? He didn't know what was going on? I motioned for him to take my robotic aid off, which he did.

"Now the dress," I instructed. He unzipped my dress and took it off of me and gasped when he saw the lingerie. I could feel his eyes roving over my body. I reached into my bag and got out the sex stuff I got at that shop in the mall. His jaw dropped and he gripped the book and the paint hard.

"A-a-are…y-you…sure?" Seto asked nervously.

"Si, mi amor," I said seductively clawing my hands down his back making him stiffen, shudder and moan.

"Ohhhh….Misty…" he growled getting so turned on. I turned him around and started taking his clothes off quickly. He was now naked, already hard, and he was breathing heavily. I pat the bed inviting him to join me. He slowly sat on the bed and I put his hands on my body.

"Strip me," I commanded. He grinned and then stared unlacing my corset and unclasping and removing the garter belt. He was panting heavily and when he got those off, he stared at my breasts hungrily. I put his hands at my panties and urged him to pull them down with my stockings. He almost ripped them off he was so excited.

"Touch me," I commanded. I thought he was going to have a heart attack he was panting so hard and he was so excited. He hovered over me and kissed me hard and started caressing and squeezing my breasts. We both moaned in pleasure and he squeezed harder and I moaned louder, thus rippling and making him moan louder too. He kissed my face and my neck and started to nibble. He caressed my arms, my breasts, my stomach, and my hips. I tilted my head to give him better access and arched upwards at his touch. I moaned in pleasure and wrapped my arms around his torso lightly clawing down his back. He shuddered and moaned again.

"Oh Misty…You have no idea how much that turns me on…" he whispered to me. I clawed down his back harder and he moaned louder and ground his hips and his hard penis against my hips. I squeezed his ass and he groaned in pleasure. He kissed further down and then over my breasts and he teased each nipple before latching on and sucking on them for a good two minutes each. I moaned and managed to get one hand free and tangle up in his hair and grip it.

"Oh Seto…that…feels so…good," I said huskily. He nibbled lightly and I gripped tighter. He then kissed down my torso and nipped the skin where he kissed it. I moaned a little and he started to dip his tongue into my navel and then started to kiss my hips. He squeezed my ass and then caressed my thighs and my legs. I twitched in pleasure and was starting to get wet. I knew he knew I was wet, but he decided to ignore it and continued to caress me until he reached my feet and then worked his way back up. I moaned louder as he came closer to my vagina, and moaned even louder than that when he started to rub my clit. I started arching and bucking to his hand and gripping the sheets.

"OH! SETO!" I called out. He rubbed harder and more vigorously, driving me crazy. I was panting heavily enjoying every tingling sensation. He continued to vigorously play with my clit and stuck one of his fingers inside me stroking the walls and my g-spot.

"OOOOOHHHHH SETOOO!" I moaned loudly and then gasped as I came and my walls tightened. Seto pulled his finger out and licked it and then lapped up my juices. I trembled from the waves of pleasure while Seto hovered over me.

"You taste delicious," he whispered to me. I smiled a little bit and he kissed me passionately. I gripped his hair and he pulled back and smirked. "Want to try me?"

"Sure," I smiled and then he sat me up and lay down and then put me on top of him. I kissed him passionately and started to run my hands down his torso enjoying the feel of his warm, taut, lean skin underneath my fingers. I could feel him moan with pleasure into the kiss as I caressed his skin. I squeezed his pecs and swirled my fingers around his nipples. I felt him stiffen a little and I smirked. I traced fingers around them and lightly brushed them over his skin making him tremble and moan. I started kissing down his neck nibbling a little and he stiffened a little.

"Like that?" I whispered.

"Yes!" He exclaimed eagerly. I chuckled and kissed and nibbled my way down to his taut abs at the same time my hands were exploring them. I kissed, licked, and nipped at his cut lines and could hear him gasp and arch upwards. I heard him groan and whine a little in anticipation since I was so close to that beautiful, hard penis of his. It was quivering, aching to be touched and tasted. I smirked and then bypassed it caressing and kissing down his legs.

"Misty…" he complained. I kissed my way back up and came close and I heard him gasp in anticipation and then growl and groan when I kissed up his abs back up to his lips. He kissed back and seemed a little frustrated I bypassed it again. I giggled and then kissed him down again and I heard him growl.

"Don't…tease…me!" Seto commanded. I giggled again.

"But it's fun," I protested. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Don't," he commanded. I chuckled and then licked the tip. He gasped sharply and gripped the sheets tightly. I licked the tip again and tasted his salty pre-cum. I hoped he could hold it in; I was just getting started. I slowly took the whole head of his quivering member between my lips and swirled my tongue all around it. He gripped the sheets tighter and moaned loudly. I gripped it with my hands and gently started twisting it and slowly started to swirl my tongue around his penis like it was a Popsicle. I made a ring between my index finger and thumb at the base of his penis and squeezed a little. I heard him gasp sharply and he moaned even louder.

"Oooohhhh MIstyyyy!" He called my name. I continued to let my tongue caress his member and then I positioned my hand to keep the ring around his base and used my other 3 fingers to caress his testicles. He moaned even louder and then I decided to blow cool air on them. He gasped and hissed and was writhing in pleasure.

"OH GOD! MISTYYYYY!" He yelled. I licked one and then took it between my lips for a moment, and then moved onto the other one. He was yelling more now. I swirled my tongue back up his throbbing penis and slowly engulfed him and started sucking. He let go of the sheets and gripped my hair tightly moaning and bucking into my mouth. I slowly bypassed my gag reflex and deep throated him and hummed. He yelled louder and bucked a little more.

"MISTY I'M GOING CRAZY!" He yelled. He wanted crazy? I'll give him crazy. I rubbed his testicles harder and started pulling back and grazing my teeth lightly against his penis. He yelled again and gripped my hair tighter. He was panting heavily. He was very, very close. I could see he was practically seeing stars already and he hadn't cum yet. I slowly moved my hands from his testicles down his perineum.

"Misty what are you doing?" Seto demanded while breathing heavily. To answer him, I thumbed his perineum and found the little spot that would drive him over the edge. I pressed gently and he gasped and yelled as he couldn't take anymore and he exploded into my mouth and making me immediately swallow as a reflex. His seed tasted kind of like a thick, creamy, and salty broth. I licked the tip and pulled off of him. He lay there trembling violently from the waves of pleasure rolling off of him with a starstruck grin on his face.

"You taste good too," I whispered to him. He smiled and caressed my cheek tenderly.

"That was incredible…" he whispered. I smiled and gave him a peck on his lips and rested on top of him while he recovered his wits. I drew invisible random patterns on his skin feeling his ripples of pleasure. A few minutes later, he started kissing me hungrily. I gripped his hair and he gently moved me down to lie on the bed underneath him and only parted the kiss to breathe. He laced fingers with mine and nudged my legs apart with his knee. He pulled away, sat back a moment, and smiled as he lifted my legs up onto his shoulders and then teased the entrance of my vagina with the tip of his super-hard penis.

"Ready… my… love?" He panted and looked into my eyes.

"Take me…"I commanded gently. Seto grinned.

"With pleasure," he replied huskily and pushed in. We both gasped and moaned loudly at the sensation of him being inside me until he was deep inside. He paused so I could get used to him again and then he started pulling back and thrusted again. The friction was incredible! We both moaned loudly enjoying the sensation. He started thrusting faster and harder.

"OH GOD MISTY! YOU'RE SO TIGHT!" Seto exclaimed.

"And…YOU'RE SO…BIG!" I told him. I gasped and cried out when he started to vigorously stimulate my clit and then starting bucking into him. I needed more.

"Seto…please…move it…a smidge…to the left…" I requested while panting. He paused and then moved it to the left until I felt him hit my g-spot better.  
"Right there! That's the spot!" I exclaimed with a shuddering moan and another big buck. He was thrusting even harder and faster, pounding into me like a piston.

"OH MISTY!" Seto exclaimed breathlessly.

"OH SETO!" I exclaimed back. I was seeing stars now.

"MISTY! I CAN'T LAST…MUCH…LONGER!" Seto cried out almost frantically.

"ALMOST…THERE!" Seto growled and then started going even faster and harder and played with my clit harder. I gasped sharply and froze as my walls clamped down on him in orgasmic bliss. He growled and yelled loudly as he exploded inside me. He let my legs fall and then lay on top of me but not so he was suffocating me. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him after he pulled out of me. I looked into his sparkling sapphire eyes and he smiled at me and kissed me. God I felt so happy right now.

_End of Graphic Sexual Content_

* * *

"Best…Valentine's Day…Ever…" He whispered into my ear when he pulled away from the kiss.

"Amen…" I agreed and kissed him again and burrowed closer. When we parted I lay in his arms and he stroked my back and my hair. That, coupled with listening to his heartbeat lulled me to sleep.

"I love you," he whispered and kissed my forehead.

"I love you," I mumbled back and was completely taken into my dreamland. I still couldn't believe I was about to marry Seto; this was really the happiest and best Valentine's Day I've had…so far.

~Seto's POV~

Misty and I had woken up to the sound of her alarm clock in her room and went about our morning business as usual, except I wasn't going to go to work today. I took today off because it was going to be a fairly big day for her; today, Misty was going to have her casts removed and the doctor was going to see her healing progress, and right after that as long as we had the doctor's okay, we were going to go visit this medical company to get that robotic aid I had told her about put on. I couldn't wait for her to try it out and go through physical therapy to help get her moving again. I knew she really hated being stuck in that wheelchair and being bored all day. Thankfully Sally kept her busy all day. I also couldn't wait for her to come back to the office and alleviate some of this awful burden of work that's been piling up faster than usual; however, I would be patient, even though it was driving me crazy. She needed to be fully recovered to be of use to me at the office. I sighed heavily at that thought as I got dressed and combed my hair, making sure I looked nice for her. I joined her and Mokuba at the breakfast table and had our usual kind of breakfast conversation. We finished and then Cynthia wheeled Misty away to get her dressed and ready for her appointments.

"I wish I could come with you two to her appointments…" Mokuba complained.

"You aren't going to miss anything," I replied with a nonchalant shrug. "It'll probably be kind of boring for you anyways."

"I'd rather be there watching," Mokuba pouted.

"You'll still get to see her with her robotic aid on after school. Don't worry, you're not going to miss a thing," I assured him.

"Okay Seto," Mokuba replied.

"Now go on and get dressed for school," I commanded and ruffled his hair affectionately while he obediently got up and went upstairs to his room to get dressed and ready for school. While I waited for them, I sat on the couch and idly watched TV. A few minutes later, Mokuba joined me on the couch with his schoolbooks.

"So what are you going to do for her tomorrow for Valentine's Day?" Mokuba asked.

"Hopefully propose, if the ring gets here in time. We have a lot to get ready tomorrow. Hopefully she can do something in town tomorrow long enough for the staff to set everything up."

"Oh I'm sure if you tell Sally to, I'm sure she'll find a way to take Misty to town and keep her there until everything's ready. Though I can't believe it's going to happen tomorrow," Mokuba replied.

"Yeah, it is. I'm excited and nervous at the same time," I admitted.

"Why are you nervous?"

"It's just a big step and what if she says no?"

"She's not going to say no!" Mokuba retorted. "In fact, if anything, she's waiting for the moment when you do so she can practically scream yes." I chuckled a little. That was comforting to hear.

"So, couldn't wait any longer?" Mokuba teased.

"Nope, I couldn't. I'm going to ask her tomorrow, on Valentine's Day. I know it sounds cliché and corny, but I don't care." I declared firmly. Mokuba smiled.

"She's going to love it!" Mokuba promised.

"And I have you, her friends, Cynthia, and the staff to thank for all your help in planning everything; I would've had no idea what to do without your help," I told him as I brought him close for a brotherly embrace. Mokuba chuckled a little.

"Sure you would have. You always know what to do," Mokuba replied. I smiled and punched his arm lightly.

"Thanks Mokuba."

"Anytime big bro!" Mokuba replied with a thumbs up. We heard the door click and Misty wheeled out of her room wearing a side-zippered dress and her hair was done in a French braid. Now I see why it took her a while to get ready; she had to look fantastic. We smiled appreciatively at her appearance.

"You look pretty Misty," Mokuba complimented her. Misty smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Thank you kiddo," she replied and kissed his cheek. Awww.

"Alright, let's get you to school and you to the doctor," I said as I pointed to Mokuba first and then to Misty.

"Alright don't get your panties in a wad," she teased and rolled out the door. At the top of the steps, I picked her up out of the chair and carried her down the steps while a couple of the servants compacted her wheelchair and put it in the trunk of the limo while Edward opened the door and helped me get her situated inside. Mokuba and I joined her inside the limo, and Edward started driving us.

"I bet it's going to feel so good to be free from those casts," Mokuba remarked.

"Oh you have no idea I'm dying to be freed." Misty replied.

"And I bet you're eager to try out the robotic aid," I added.

"Yeah, I am. I can't wait to move around again." Misty curled up against me totally excited. The excitement flooded the the limo as we got to Mokuba's school.

"Bye Misty! Can't wait to see you without your casts and with your robotic aid!" Mokuba bade and hugged her and then me before hopping out and going inside.

Edward then took us to the hospital and then helped me get her wheelchair out and then helped get her out and put her in. We wheeled inside and went to the floor the doctor was on and waited in the waiting room. I held her hand and stroked her fingers and knuckles with my thumb. I particularly rubbed her left ring finger, imagining how the ring would look on that finger.

"_Giving her hints?" My inner self teased. I mentally shrugged._ Maybe I was. I didn't really care if I was giving her hints or not. I just wanted to caress the finger that would be wearing the ring I ordered for her. Misty squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek. I think she understood.

"I love you," she whispered in my ear. Music to my ears.

"I love you too," I whispered back and kissed her forehead. We waited for about 15 minutes before the doctor called for her.

"Misty Robinson?" He asked and held the door for her. I followed right behind her as she wheeled past the doctor and was shown to a room with a bed that was connected to a bunch of round, motorized saws. The doctor then shut the door. Oh my…all those blades…that's kind of a scary sight…

"Hello Ms. Robinson. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked with a cheerful, friendly, expression as he readied his pen and clipboard.

"I'm feeling alright. I want to move around," she retorted.

"Have you been feeling a lot of pain lately?" the doctor asked as he started writing notes and looked up at her. I should hope not…

"No, not lately. Mr. Kaiba has ensured that my nurse and Cynthia, the head of his household staff, have been giving me proper nutrition and that I don't overexert myself. They've also been giving me my pain meds when I need them. I haven't needed as much medication lately."I smiled satisfied at her response. The doctor's hand flew across the page as he wrote his notes down.

"Are you getting plenty of rest during the day and getting a full night's sleep?" Of course she is; I see how peaceful and rested she is every night and morning.

"Yes I am."

"Have you been feeling lethargic at all?" Not really, from what I can tell.

"Well, mostly just bored from not being able to do much," I admitted honestly. The doctor nodded as he wrote more notes down and asked her more mundane questions. After about 15 minutes of questions and answers, it was time to get the casts off and see her healing progress. Oh I couldn't wait to see how well she was healing.

"I'll need you to remove your dress and put on this gown," the doctor instructed her as he got out a fresh gown for her and then stepped out of the room and shut the door. Misty looked to me.

"Do you want me to step out?" I asked. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, but I hoped she asked me to stay.

"I need your help…" Misty replied. Yes! I smiled a little and then started to unzip her dress and I tensed up a little. Ohh God…I got to see her beautiful, sexy body again…

"Easy, easy," she said softly.

"I know," I replied and calmed myself down with a huge effort as I removed her dress from her body and she was lying on the table wearing only a string bikini panty. Wow…Yeah, I know, I've seen her before, but I still couldn't get over how beautiful she was. I still couldn't believe I got to make love to that beautiful body. I wanted to do it again sometime, but I wasn't going to pressure her. I couldn't help but ogle her body again a moment and then helped her with the gown, leaving it open on her right side as she lay on her left side so the doctor could saw her casts off. At least I could satisfy myself by seeing her and helping her. I was glad I didn't let Mokuba come; he might have been uncomfortable seeing her so exposed, and I don't think Misty would be comfortable with him seeing her like that either. Also, I doubt he'd want to sit waiting in the waiting room.

"This is it," Misty told me with a smile. I smiled back, kissed her head, opened the door, and brought the doctor in again. The doctor shut the door and then started getting his saw ready. I nervously stood by her and held her hand tightly. I eyed the other saws and squeezed her hand tighter. All those blades looked menacing. I didn't particularly like sharp objects like blades, needles…or even sharp shards of glass, especially the way they were in her body that awful night. "Relax," Misty whispered to me. How could she be so calm?

"_You're making something out of nothing. She's probably eager to be freed and she knows the doctor is experienced and won't hurt her," my inner self explained. _I still didn't trust the doctor with the saw, especially when he donned a mask, goggles, and a pair of gloves and then started up the saw.

"That's not going to hurt her is it?" I demanded.

"No. I won't cut her," the doctor promised. I narrowed my eyes at the scrutinizing him and warning him he better not or he'd dearly pay for it.

"It's okay. We're here to get these off," Misty reminded me gently. I was still leery of the doctor as the doctor brought the saw close to her casts and started slicing through them and pulled them away. I heard her gasp at the sensation each time a cast was pulled away. Wow, her body looked so good without the casts. She looked so much better.

"Alright, let's go get your right side x-rayed and see how your bones are," the doctor announced. I helped secure her gown and then carried her into the x-ray room and laid her on the table.

"You'll have to wait outside the room," the doctor told me. I looked at her assessing if she was alright and then sighed reluctantly agreeing to wait outside the room. I watched carefully as the doctor talked to her, the right side of her gown was removed, she put a lead vest on, and the doctor positioned her so he could get the best x-rays. I wonder what the lead vest was for.

He finished a few minutes later, took the lead vest off of her, and allowed me to come back in. I picked her up off the table and carried her back to the room we'd been in before. I sat her on the table and sat in the chair beside the bed holding her hand while we waited. I was so excited about what the x-rays would show. About 10 minutes later, the doctor came in with the x-rays and put them against the light on the wall.

"So, how's it looking?" Misty asked.

"From here it looks like you're healing pretty well and you look as good as new. All you need to really do now is work on exercising that right side of yours so you can move around normally. I recommend starting physical therapy as soon as possible," the doctor replied with a smile. Excellent! Now to show the doctor the proposal I got from that medical company about that robotic aid.

"Doctor, I have a question," I began and pulled out the printed email from my pocket. "I'd like your permission to put a robotic aid on her to assist in her recovery," I added and showed the doctor the email. The doctor read the email and nodded thoughtfully. That's a good sign. So far so good.

"I don't see any reason why not. I'm actually quite intrigued with the idea, and this is a reputable company. I'd like to see how this works for her. However, one caveat: if it doesn't work, take it off of her immediately and don't use it again. I don't want to make things worse for her. I also want her to keep a journal of her experience with this robotic aid so the medical world will know how well this works," the doctor replied. Misty and I smiled. Fantastic! She'd be able to use it and move around!

"Thank you," we replied. The doctor smiled back.

"You're welcome. Alright, let's get those stitches removed," the doctor replied and grabbed a scalpel and looked at her scars with stitches. I still had issues with the doctor and sharp objects. I held her hand and watched the doctor closely. If he slipped up, I'd deck him. "Your scars are looking so good," he remarked with a smile and then cut the stitches with the scalpel, removed the remains, and put a scar fading cream over them, and any other scar that was exposed. I relaxed once I knew he was done. "You may get dressed now," the doctor told her and then left the room and shut the door. Misty took off the hospital gown and I dressed her again and kissed her. The doctor came back in.

"Alright Ms. Robinson, I want you to attend physical therapy Monday-Friday for 3 weeks and I want you to come back and see me for a follow-up after your last physical therapy appointment. I also want you to stretch some rubber bands and do these exercises," the doctor instructed as he got a few different colored, long rubber bands and a sheet of paper describing some exercises for her to do. "Oh and of course don't forget to write a journal describing your experience with the robotic aid," the doctor added with a smile and handed her a business card to the physical therapy office. We made our appointment, I paid for the visit, and got the doctor's written permission to use the robotic aid. Everything was perfect right now. She still had her wheelchair and she wheeled to the limo. Edward and I put her in the limo and put her wheelchair in the trunk. I then got in, held her close, and stroked her right side. I noticed she trembled a little in pleasure. Oh that was nice. It was nice being able to hold her like I used to before her accident.

"It feels so nice to hold you without the casts in the way," I whispered.

"It feels nice to cuddle with you without the casts in the way," Misty replied and nuzzled closer. I smiled and gave her a light kiss. I'm glad she felt the same way. We rested a bit in a comfortable silence until we got to the medical company that had proposed the robotic aid idea to me. I was very excited about this.

"Mr. Kaiba! So good of you to come and see us!" A tall man with red hair, green eyes, glasses, and scrubs greeted me enthusiastically and shook my hand almost like he was furiously pumping water. "I'm David Howell. I sent the email to you," he introduced himself. Mr. Howell then looked at Misty. "So, you must be Misty Robinson," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Misty and I greeted.

"I'm so excited to be able to help you Ms. Robinson," Mr. Howell told her with an eager smile.

"I'm excited to move again," she replied.

"Of course," Mr. Howell agreed. I then handed him the doctor's orders that granted permission to have her fitted for the robotic aid to try out. Mr. Howell read over it and smiled widely. "Come along, let's get you fitted," he instructed and led us to a room with wires and monitors covering the walls.. There was another room past this one and Mr. Howell was talking to a couple ladies and they came into the room after us. I picked her up out of her wheelchair and helped hold her up while the ladies measured her and wrote the measurements down. I helped her sit back down and about an hour later, Mr. Howell and a few other scientists came in holding the robotic aid. Mr. Howell and I picked her up out of the chair again and started fitting it onto her.

"Alright, let's see how it works," Mr. Howell said excitedly as soon as we finished strapping her in. I shared his excitement and couldn't wait to see it work. She looked like a cyborg…a sexy cyborg. Misty tried lifting and moving her arm and it looked almost normal."The aid can tell how much effort you're exerting and works accordingly. The more effort you put into moving, the more it's going to work. The less effort you put into moving your limbs, the less it's going to work and the more independent you'll be." Mr. Howell explained. That made sense. "Please take it off every night before bed and anytime you're about to enter water. To take it off, you only have to unlatch the chains on one side. To clean it off, use a slightly damp washcloth and then dry it off once you've cleaned it. We want to see you in 3 weeks, after you've gone to physical therapy and seen your doctor. We'll do an assessment and evaluation to see if we need to keep it on you or not and we'll be reviewing your journal about your experience with it to see if we need to fix anything and to see how well it works." Mr. Howell instructed. I made sure to listen intently so I could help ensure this worked for her.

"Okay," Misty replied with a nod. Mr. Howell then led us to a workout area and then put her on a machine. I watched as she did the exercise he wanted her to do and he and the rest of his team were rapidly and eagerly writing everything they observed down. She was moving fantastically. Granted, the aid was doing most of the work, but it was still nice to see her moving almost normally.

Misty went from machine to machine doing the exercises while Mr. Howell and his team made observations, and she got quite a good workout in. Misty sat down and Mr. Howell took the aid off, showed us how to clean and dry it, helped ice her limbs, and dried her off. He put the aid back on her and helped stand her up. I was happy to see her stand on her own.

"See you in 3 weeks!" He bade excitedly. I held her hand and we actually walked out of there. I couldn't believe she was actually walking! One of Mr. Howell's assistants brought the wheelchair to the limo for us and Misty actually put herself in the car while Edward and I compacted the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. I climbed in beside her and held her close to me. Electric excitement buzzed within the confines of the limo.

"I'm liking this robotic aid already. It was nice seeing you move a bit normally again," I told her and kissed her forehead.

"I couldn't agree more. This is such a brilliant idea," Misty replied as she nuzzled closer.

"Let's go get some lunch and then go get Mokuba," I suggested. It was quite a late lunch we'd be having. We were at the doctor's office for a while, then it was another while dealing with her robotic aid and watching her workout, lunch is probably going to be leisurely, so the timing was perfect to get Mokuba right after lunch.

"Alright." I called Edward and instructed him to take us the very same restaurant we went to on our first date.

"Feeling nostalgic, are we?" Misty teased lightly. I smiled back. I knew she'd catch on.

"A little, but it's also a bit of a special occasion."

"And what occasion is that, pray tell?" Misty asked.

"Your freedom from your casts and you're moving again," I explained as if it were obvious.

"Ah right," she replied.

"What'd you think it was?"

"Nothing," was she expecting a particular special occasion?

I looked at her skeptically a moment but continued to hold her close.

"_No, I doubt she may have been thinking of any occasion in particular, but since you brought it up, she might be getting some ideas about a… particular occasion," my inner self pointed out._

"_Particular occasion?" I asked confused. My inner self rolled his eyes._

"_Since you mentioned it, she might be thinking you're about to propose," he explained._

"_No, that would be tomorrow, if the ring comes in. I want it to be special," I replied. _

"_Alright, whatever," he answered. _

It wasn't long before we arrived at the restaurant and were seated in the same private booth as last time, and of course, Paolo was our waiter again.

"Hello again Mr. Kaiba and Misty! It is so good to see you again!" Paolo greeted with a smile and then he looked at Misty. "What happened to you?" Didn't he know?

"I'm recovering after an accident," she explained. Paolo nodded in understanding.

"I see. What can I get for you to drink? Wine?"

"Not today," I replied. "We'll both have some teas." We didn't really need wine right now. It just wasn't an ideal time for it and I didn't want her medications to be affected by the alcohol.

"Yes sir Mr. Kaiba," Paolo replied, bowed and left us after leaving us some bread and dipping oil. I glanced at her and smirked as I had an idea. We could have a sort-of similar repeat performance of our first date, just for fun.

"What?" Misty asked curiously.

"Want to have an almost repeat performance of last time?" I asked.

"Maybe," Misty replied. My smirk widened a little at her sort-of approval of the idea.

"The only differences is I don't have to ask you something, we're drinking tea, and I'm not as nervous around you," I explained.

"I take it you want spaghetti again?" she asked teasingly. Oh yes. It wouldn't be a nearly-repeat performance without it.

"Yes. The spaghetti tastes really good when it's coupled with your kiss," I replied playfully.

"I should hope so," Misty teased back. I chuckled a little and kissed her. Misty kissed back and then pulled away with a chuckle of her own.

"Couldn't wait for the spaghetti, huh?" she teased. She was so cute when she was teasing.

"Nope," I agreed with a grin. I got up and closed the curtain like last time for some privacy and kissed her deeply. Misty kissed back, running her fingers through my hair. Mmmm…such a sweet, delicious kiss.

"Here are your teas," Paolo announced interrupting us. I kept her in the kiss and waved Paolo to go away and leave us alone. Thankfully, Paolo obeyed the cue to leave. We were making out in the booth until we had to pull away to breathe. Misty and I grinned at each other and I held her close again, stroking her arm tenderly. This was bliss. Paolo returned a few minutes later looking a little awkwardly at us. I should imagine so…interrupting a makeout session like that must've been very awkward indeed.

"So, what would you like to eat today?" Paolo asked.

"One large spaghetti plate to share, again," I ordered. I knew he'd remember. Paolo wrote the order down and then disappeared again. We both felt happy and so relaxed in the booth, and she was almost purring in contentment as I stroked her hair.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too," Misty whispered back and I kissed her cheek happily; it always gave me chills to hear her say that to me.

A little while later, Paolo returned with our large spaghetti plate and a couple smaller plates for each of us. We heaped a pile onto our plates and found some really long noodles again. Every time we met in the middle and kissed, we smiled and extended the kiss just a few seconds longer. This was better than last time; last time it was just so awkward. When we finished our spaghetti, Paolo returned to ask if we wanted some tiramisu again.

"Sure," Misty agreed and smiled at me.

A few minutes later, Paolo had brought the tiramisu and the bill.

"I have an idea," Misty began.

"Oh? What's your idea?" I asked curiously.

"We could feed each other the tiramisu," she suggested. Perfect idea.

"Alright," I agreed and we each speared a piece of the tiramisu with our forks and fed it to each other one at a time. We savored each bite and then finished it, gave each other a kiss, paid the bill and left a tip for Paolo, and left.

"Let's go show Mokuba," I suggested as we got back in the limo.

A few minutes later, we had come to Mokuba's school. I helped her climb out of the limo and I noticed we were a little early. Oh well, no matter. Edward went and parked the limo and Misty and I started walking inside. I still couldn't believe she was walking again!

"We're early. How long before school lets out?" Misty asked me.

"He'll be out in about 20 minutes," I replied as I saw the time and we sat down on a bench in front of the office to wait for him. We chatted idly while we waited for 20 minutes until the bell rang and students poured out into the hallways staring at us curiously, but they went about their ways getting ready to go home. We scanned the crowds looking for Mokuba. I saw that unmistakable, long, raven hair bobbing through the crowd and smiled just a little.

"There he is," I told her as I pointed him out.

"Mokuba!" We both called to him and he immediately looked up. He smiled, waved, and then ran to us like an eager puppy.

"Seto! Misty!" He called out and a few kids were staring at our exchange, Mokuba's running, and Misty's robotic aid. We smiled and stood up as he gave us an embrace excitedly. "Misty! You're standing! And Walking!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Yes, I am," Misty confirmed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "This robotic aid is freakin' awesome!" she exclaimed excitedly and showed him how the aid worked. Mokuba's eyes were alight with utter fascination.

"Wow Misty!" Mokuba grinned widely. Of course, now we had quite a crowd watching us. What, was this a circus or something? Were they looking at Misty like she was a freakshow?

"What are all of you looking at?" I growled and tried to shoo them away. The crowd reluctantly dispersed grumbling. I doubted they'd like it if we were staring at them the same way they were watching us, particularly Misty, just now.

"Sweetie relax," Misty whispered through her teeth. I growled a little in annoyance and folded my arms while she continued to show Mokuba her aid for a few more minutes until we left. Mokuba and I hung back and were fascinated watching her walking back to the limo. I still couldn't get over how well this thing made her move. I was so glad to give this company a chance.

"Like the view from back there guys?" Misty teased.

"Yep," we replied with a smile. "It's nice watching you walking again." she smiled as we caught up and we got in. I heard a message alert on my phone, so I opened it and smiled a little at the message. Perfect! The ring was here!

"What's up?" Misty asked curiously. I had to make something up; I wanted this to be a surprise.

"An important piece came in today," I explained cryptically, earning a quizzical look from her. It was partly the truth, it was an important piece…in my plans for tomorrow, but I wanted to keep the explanation as vague as possible."I need to stop by the office for a moment to pick it up and we can go home."

"Okay," Mokuba and Misty replied. A few minutes later, Edward parked in front of Kaiba Corp.

"I'll be right back," I announced and got out of the limo, walked inside and went up to my office to get the box. I was so excited.

"Mr. Kaiba, here is your package," my temp secretary told me as she produced a small plain box for me. "Oh and the florist will have your roses delivered this afternoon to one of your servant's house and that same servant promised to put them in the fridge for tomorrow." I nodded in acknowledgment at the message.

"Thank you," I curtly replied and then started walking back down to the limo. I got in and could feel her eyes on me and the box.

"What's that?" Misty asked. Time to lie…though I didn't like it.

"A metal holograph ring," I lied. She seemed suspicious.

"Okay…"Misty replied awkwardly.

"What?" I demanded. There was something about how she said that that was just weird.

"Nothing…" she replied. I quirked an eyebrow at her. Something was on her mind.

"Tell me," I commanded and gazed into her eyes hoping to make her spill that way. My stare was usually unfailing when it came to getting people to crack.

"It's nothing!" she assured me. Uh-huh…right… I continued to stare at her. Misty sighed exasperated. Was she cracking? "I have nothing to say!" she insisted and I sighed and left her alone. Alright, she wins… well, it looked like my famous piercing gaze didn't work on her. We chatted with Mokuba and she was still suspicious.

We went back to the mansion, worked on some pressing homework and projects we had, and played videogames together. She was particularly excited about playing a racing game with us. I never saw her this excited for video games before.

"Y'all are going down!" Misty declared. She was serious- she had a serious game face on.

"In your dreams!" we bantered back. We weren't going to give up that easy.

"No, in YOUR dreams! Now let's get the show on the road!" Misty declared and Mokuba set up the game for us. She had the same determination she had when she dueled.

We played hard, but she managed to beat us easily, especially when she vaulted in front of us and crossed the finish line first.

"HAHA! SCORE! SCORE! What was that now about me winning only in my dreams?" Misty smirked tauntingly and chuckled. It was impressive she was able to do that with her robotic aid. This was some really powerful technology.

"Yeah, yeah…" we replied rolling our eyes playfully. Alright, we'd let her have that one.

"How'd you get so good at racing games?" Mokuba asked.

"I play racing games all the time whenever I visit an arcade," Misty answered with a nonchalant shrug, trying to play it cool.

"Ah, I see," Mokuba replied. "That was so much fun," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, it was," she agreed. It wasn't long before Cynthia called us down to dinner.

Later, when it was time for bed…

"Goodnight Seto and Misty," Mokuba bade with a hug as he ascended the stairs to his room.

"Goodnight Mokuba," we bade back. Once he had disappeared, I looked at her with a small smile on my face; I had an idea.

"Hey Misty, how about we sleep in my room?" I suggested hopefully. I figured since she had her robotic aid on now, she could climb upstairs and come to my room and share my bed. In time, maybe I'll ask her to move her things upstairs.

"Sure. Just let me get changed first," Misty replied and then started walking to her room to change. She waved me along so I could help her and I followed like an eager puppy. If only she'd let me do more than just look and help her. I took off her aid and then slowly unzipped her dress and slid it off her body. My eyes roved over her body hungrily and I groaned as I was starting to get hard seeing her body like this. God how I wanted her…I wanted her so bad I whined a little as I had to keep my hands to myself…I didn't want to pressure her into something she might not be ready for.

"Look but don't touch…" I chanted to myself over and over to help keep myself calm. Damn…it wasn't working! I wanted to touch her so bad and fill her up…over and over…

I slipped a loose nightgown over her head and pulled it down savoring the touch that way. At least it was that, but it wasn't enough to satisfy me. I put the robotic aid back on and held her hand as we walked to the stairs. Well, at least this excitement could distract me a little. Misty took a deep breath and slowly started going up the steps while I held her hand and stayed at her side watching with a fascinated, proud smile. We went to my room and she sat on the bed and I took her aid off. She lay on the bed and it was my turn to change for bed. She watched me change with a smile. Well, fair's fair. She turned me on while I helped her change, so now it's my turn to turn her on while she watched me. I couldn't help smirking as she was ogling me. "Like what you see?" I asked.

"As always," Misty replied. My smirk widened as I knew I was turning her on, and I crawled on the bed hovering over her and kissed her deeply. Misty kissed back running her fingers through my hair and down my back. Oh God Misty…don't make it worse and tease me. I responded by starting to kiss her neck and collarbone and pressing my hard erection against her hips to show how bad I wanted her. I realized what I was doing and pulled away admonishing myself for forgetting.

"Sorry…" I apologized sheepishly. I couldn't take this torture much longer, but I knew I had to.

"Don't worry about it," she assured me. Well, it was good that she wasn't offended, but I really wished she'd help take care of it. I smiled a half-smile and then lay next to her and pulled her close running my fingers through her silky, chocolate hair. Misty gently pushed some hair out of my face and caressed my cheek gently. So sweet.

"I love you," I whispered and kissed her forehead and her lips softly.

"I love you too," she whispered back and cuddled closer against me and fell asleep. I remembered to set the alarm on my phone to wake me up with vibrations so I wouldn't wake her in the morning. I wanted to surprise her with roses. I couldn't help wondering what she'd do for me tomorrow since it was Valentine's Day, but frankly, I cared more about everything going perfectly tomorrow and her saying yes to me. My heart raced as I went through everything in my head, particularly when she'd say yes. I was counting on the assurances Mokuba, Cynthia, the staff, and her friends made when they promised me she'd say yes to help keep me at ease.

"_It's all going to go perfectly," my inner self chimed in. _

"_Thanks," I replied still feeling slightly anxious, but excited. _I think I fell asleep and kept dreaming about tomorrow night…until my phone started pulsing in my pocket. Was it time to get up already? I kissed her lightly and gently got out of her arms. She stirred a little, but thankfully she stayed asleep. I went down to the kitchen and found 5 bouquets waiting for me to use. Perfect. I dug out the card I picked for her from the desk drawer I had managed to sneak in there and smiled as I put it near one of the bouquets I'd leave at the foot of her bed.

"I'll make sure she and Sally go out and do something," Cynthia promised me as she was working on making strawberry and chocolate chip muffins and the cake for this evening.

"Excellent!" I replied cheerfully. Cynthia smiled.

"I'm so excited!" She exclaimed eagerly.

"Yeah, so am I," I agreed with a bit of a smile.

"Oh come on, you know you want to smile bigger than that," Cynthia admonished me. Alright, I supposed I could let my full smile out since this was an occasion I was eager for. "That's better," Cynthia told me with a smile of her own. I unwrapped 4 of the bouquets, rinsed them, and started cutting the roses off the stems and peeling the petals apart. I put all the petals in a bag and crept back into the room and started dropping petals all over the bed and all over her. Thankfully, she didn't wake up. I threw the bag away and then went to get the other bouquet and the card and left them at the foot of the bed. I grabbed the box the ring was in from one of my dresser drawers and went back to the kitchen.

"Make sure the rose that this ring is going to be on is in the bouquet on the table tonight, and discreetly hand it to me when she isn't looking," I instructed Cynthia as I got out some blue ribbon and started tying the ring to the stem. Cynthia took the rose with the ring on it into the garage and put it in the fridge out there.

"Any other new instructions?" Cynthia asked.

"Spread some rose petals on and around the table, only play that song "When You Say You Love Me" only at the right moment. Skip over the song if you have to, oh and make sure to tell Sally to put the gala gown on her tonight. It's in her closet. If she doesn't know which one it is, it's the blue/green Greek goddess one," I instructed.

"Got it," Cynthia promised me. I looked at the time and noticed she'd be waking up soon.

"Well, time to start getting ready," I announced and went back to my room and silently shut the door. I smirked as I thought of another Valentine surprise for her…getting to ogle me again. I went to my bathroom and used it and shed my clothes to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I was thinking about the proposal again tonight. When I had finished I dried off and wrapped the towel around my waist kinda loosely and spritzed on some of the cologne she'd given me.

"_Trying to tempt her into seduction?" my inner self teased. _

_"Maybe," I smirked. "The only difference is that I can look but not touch, but she's more than welcome to touch me if she wants." My inner self rolled his eyes. _

"_Whatever," he retorted. _

I saw her look up at me as I came out of the bathroom. I smiled and kissed her. It was good she was up.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love," I greeted.

"Happy Valentine's Day, mi amor," she replied. I shuddered a little. Oooh! A sexy Valentine's greeting. Misty chuckled a little bit. "You like me speaking in Spanish?"

"I'm starting to, especially if you say it like that…and I can understand you." I admitted. Misty laughed a little. What? What was so funny?

"I remember when you got so pissy and irritated when I spoke in Spanish that day when you taught me how to duel." Oh yeah…I forgot about that. Oh! That's why she was laughing.

"Yes because I couldn't understand you and I was in no mood for it, but then again you did help tremendously with Sr. Maldonado," I replied.

"Yep, I did. I'm glad you're warming up to it."

"Mhm." I agreed and kissed her again. I pulled away to breathe and I looked into her wild, chocolate eyes, smiled, and picked up her left hand and kissed it. "You'll get your Valentine's surprise tonight," I promised. Oh that ring was going to look so beautiful on her finger.

"You too," she promised. I wondered what it could be? Oh well, I'll just have to wait and see. I smiled, lingered and then let the towel drop from my waist and started to casually walk to my closet and dresser and get my clothes to wear for the day. Hm… what should I wear today. I felt the heat of her stare as she watched my naked body move and she seemed a little disappointed when it disappeared under my clothes. The temptation ploy seemed to be working on her.

"Enjoy the show?" I asked teasingly.

"Yep," Misty smirked and I kissed her again. "I also loved the roses and the card," she told me once she pulled away.

"I figured you would," I smiled proudly, glad that she loved them. I helped put the aid back on her and helped her downstairs to eat breakfast.

"Hey Cynthia! Happy Valentine's Day!" she greeted.

"Good morning Misty. Happy Valentine's Day!" Cynthia greeted in return with a smile. I suddenly remembered I hadn't greeted her, so I greeted her too, and then Mokuba suddenly came up and gave Misty a hug.

"Happy Valentine's Day Misty, Seto!" Mokuba greeted and then gave me a hug. I smiled at my brother and ruffled his hair affectionately. We sat down for breakfast chatting about Valentine's Day and how we'd never really celebrated it before today. Mokuba and I never got excited about the holiday before either because we only really had each other, and we didn't really do anything at the orphanage for Valentine's Day. And plus Gozaboro never really cared much for holidays either, especially one as frilly as Valentine's Day. All he did was make me work to the bone and keep Mokuba away from me. Today was our first real Valentine's Day we could truly be excited about. The excitement actually felt like a strong electric current buzzing through and around us. We were glad we had a reason to celebrate it now.

As usual, Mokuba and I left when Sally had arrived. I was glad she was there to make sure to take Misty out today.

Mokuba was about as bouncy as a rubber ball today.

"I can't believe it's going to be tonight!" Mokuba gushed. I smiled broadly at his excitement.

"Me neither," I agreed and felt my own heart race at the thought of tonight. I was going to be anxious and excited all day. I hoped I could concentrate.

"Hey Seto, I was wondering, maybe after school we could stop by a shop today after school. I didn't get a chance to get Misty a Valentine's gift and I wanted to give her something for Valentine's Day," Mokuba requested.

"Sure Mokuba. We can do that," I assured him. Mokuba smiled.

"Thanks big bro."

"You're welcome." We got to his school and he bounded out and went inside. I sighed and then Edward took me to school.

The work was monotonous, tedious, and mundane. The minutes ticked by at a snail's pace. Murphy's Law- anytime anybody's excited about something later, time has to tick by so slowly. Why must that be true? The only thing that helped was that Cynthia was keeping me updated with what was going on. I smiled knowing that she and Sally had discussed keeping Misty out as long as possible and having her wear the gala gown, while Misty was doing her exercises and writing in her journal like she was supposed to. According to Cynthia, Misty didn't seem to suspect a thing. Perfect.

I went to the office, and time still ticked by rather slowly as I worked on more tedious busywork. God how I missed Misty in the office…at least she would've made it easier and somewhat fun. Plus, it would've been nice to watch her dance and sing while working.

Later…

Thank God it was time to go get Mokuba. At least time would pass a little faster now. I took him to a jewelry shop after school, and he had a hard time picking something out for her.

"She prefers silver," I told him to help narrow the field down a little. Mokuba nodded and started putting things she might like into a basket. He studied each piece of jewelry he picked very carefully, and rejected each one, until he picked out a silver bracelet with turquoise beads.

"I like this one for her. It seems to suit her better than the rest would," Mokuba told me matter-of-factly.

"Alright, if you say so. Oh, and it would go well with her gala gown she's going to wear tonight," I replied. Mokuba smiled proudly at his choice and we went up to the register and bought it and left the basket with a store associate.

"Sorry," Mokuba apologized as he handed the basket over. The store associate assured him it wasn't a big deal and told him not to worry about it. He put the box in his backpack and then we left to go back to the office. We made sure to do our homework so all we had to worry about tonight was the proposal; there would definitely not be time tonight to do it with that going on tonight. After we did our homework, we went back to work on office work, until it was FINALLY time to go home. Thank God!

We finally got home and saw how pretty Misty looked. Wow! She looked even better than I imagined she would.

"Hey guys!" Misty greeted eagerly and got up and hugged us.

"Hey Misty! Have a good day?" Mokuba asked.

"I sure did," she replied and ruffled his hair a little. "I have something for you," she whispered to him.

"You do?" Mokuba asked eagerly. Misty smiled and nodded and went to her room for a moment and came back with his gift.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she told him. He grinned and shredded the wrapping paper and read the card. His smile widened as he saw the videogame and he hugged her tight. Oh good, he got the game he kept talking about. That was sweet of Misty to get it for him.

"Thank you Misty!" Mokuba then let her go for a minute and went to his backpack and got out the small box and put it in her hand.

"This is for you. Happy Valentine's Day," he told her. She opened it and saw the silver bracelet with turquoise beads. She smiled and hugged him.

"It's beautiful Mokuba. Thank you," she replied and hugged him again. He beamed proudly while in the embrace.

"My turn," I chimed in and led her and Mokuba outside. Cynthia and the servants did a marvelous job setting this up! Misty was breathtaken by the sight of a small table for the 3 of us and everything else that was prepared. I was so happy she liked everything. I grabbed her right hand while Mokuba grabbed her left, and we led her to the table and we both pulled out her chair. Misty smiled and sat down and we pushed her in and took our own seats. Cynthia and the servants moved the vase out of the way and served us dinner- beef fajitas, tortillas, taco trimmings, and iced tea to drink. Misty chuckled delighted; it was a dish to remind her of home. Mokuba and I smiled at her delight, and we dug in enjoying the food while watching the sunset. For dessert, we had angel food cake topped with white icing, cinnamon, and chocolate covered strawberries. Cynthia really outdid herself with this dessert and dinner. While she was distracted and wasn't quite paying attention to what we were doing, a servant slipped me the red rose I tied the ring to.

After we finished, it was time for the magic to happen. My heart was racing. Cynthia pressed a button and "When You Say You Love Me" started playing. I took her hand and she looked at me and I kissed her softly for a few seconds before handing her the rose with the ring. She gasped at the beauty of the ring and while she was distracted with that, I got up from my chair and knelt in front of her while Mokuba stood up so he could watch. She looked up from the ring and gasped again when she realized I was proposing.

"Misty, we love you so much. We don't know what we'd do without you. When you came into our lives, it was a blessing and a miracle that heaven sent such a beautiful angel to us. I know it sounds corny, but I don't care…it's how we feel. You make us so happy, you're the first to love us for us, and you're the first to get us to open up.

"You know I don't trust anyone except you, Mokuba, and my most loyal staff. I was honored to accept your…gift last week. I want to do right by you since you were saving it for the man you marry. I want to be your man, forever. And I also remember when you said you felt like a bride your first day here when I carried you in after you were released from the hospital and I had said soon. I meant it. What I'm trying…to say…is…W-will…you…m-marry…me?" I asked nervously. She was so speechless with surprise. Oh Misty please don't drag this moment…I need an answer. Misty grinned broadly.

"Y-YES! I WILL MARRY YOU!" Misty exclaimed and I got up and hugged her tightly so happily. OH MY GOD SHE SAID YES! YES, I KNEW SHE WOULD BUT STILL…SHE SAID YES! OH GOD! MY HEART WAS FLYING! Mokuba joined in on the hug too. I kissed her so passionately and she happily kissed back. We parted from the embrace and I untied the ribbon from the rose and slipped the ring on her finger. She held her hand out and admired her ring.

"It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed giddily. I was so happy she loved it.

"He designed it specially for you," Mokuba told her.

"I'm proud to wear a work of art like this on my finger," Misty replied. I beamed proudly and kissed her again.

"I'm the happiest man in the world right now! Oh, and everything tonight is symbolic. The color of the roses, the sunset, the gown, the music, the food, and the ring. The florist says roses classically represent love, but the colors mean different kinds of love. These colors represent the kind of love I have for you. Red is for deep love, white is for the purity of our love and that it's a first love, yellow is for our friendship within our love, and orange is for the burning passion I feel for you." I never knew different colored roses had different meanings, but I was glad each color was able to represent what we had. She smiled at my explanation. "The sunset was symbolic because it's your favorite time of day. The gown you're wearing was meant for Valentine's Day but it also looked beautiful on you and I know you wanted to wear it; I wanted you to have some use out of it tonight. Josh Groban playing in the background was because he's one of your favorite singers and the song is one of your favorite love songs and describes how I feel about you. The fajitas were to make you feel at home. The angel food cake with the cinnamon and chocolate strawberries was to show my opinion of you- a spicy, sweet, and sexy angel." I was so grateful for her friends' and Cynthia's help on that part.

"The ring is to represent fire and ice-us. You're fire and we're ice. The aquamarine on top represents you, the ruby in the center of the flame represents Mokuba, and the opal on the bottom represents me. Mokuba's ruby in the center represents how he helped bring us together. The ruby is also the heart of the flame that is melting the ice from within with love. I put your aquamarine stone on top to show that you're the angel up on high watching us, and I put myself on the bottom because I put you and Mokuba before me always. You two are the reason for my happiness," I explained.

She actually started tearing up after I explained everything. "Misty? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked. The flood gates burst and she broke down crying and hugged us both.

"I'm just… so touched… and so… happy," Misty sputtered while crying. Awww…We held her tight and I wiped her tears with a napkin and I kissed her again and stroked her hair. When we pulled away, Mokuba and I sat back in our chairs and were smiling. We were obviously satisfied with how everything came to be. It couldn't be better.

"I had no idea you were such a deep artist," Misty told me. Mokuba chuckled a little and I beamed with pride but shrugged coolly, like I already knew. Having an artist like her compliment me like that was a huge stroke to my ego.

"_Easy boy. Don't get a big head now," my inner self warned. _

"Yeah, I guess," I replied trying to play it cool. "So, are you excited to become Mrs. Kaiba?" I knew it was a dumb question, but I didn't care. I had to ask it.

"You bet I am!" Misty exclaimed excitedly. God…Misty Kaiba…I liked the sound of that. My last name fit her perfectly.

"I'm so excited! You're going to be my sister officially!" Mokuba gushed excitedly. She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I sure am," she concurred.

"I can't wait!" Mokuba exclaimed. He was practically bouncing now, even more than he was this morning.

"Neither can I," Misty and I both replied together, making us all chuckle.

"Let's make a toast, to a happy future," Misty declared and raised her tea glass. Mokuba and I followed suit and raised ours.

"Here, here!" we agreed and clinked our glasses with hers. We took a long drink of our tea to seal the toast.

"So, when are you two planning to get married?" Mokuba asked eagerly. Whoa Mokuba, calm down! I know you're excited but still, we have to plan it out to make it perfect. One step at a time.

"We don't know yet Mokuba," I replied. Misty seemed like she was already thinking about it.

"Hmmm…well, maybe we can get married this summer, in October, or around Christmas," she suggested.

"I'd prefer the summer," I replied. I didn't want to wait until around my birthday or Christmas to be married to her. I wanted to marry her as soon as I could, plus we could take a long honeymoon during the summer.

"Alright, summer it is," Misty agreed and stuck her hand out to shake mine. I shook her hand and we smiled. It was official…we were going to get married in the summer.

"I can't wait for the summer!" Mokuba gushed with glee. "Wow! We have a lot of planning to do!"

"Yes, Mokuba, but let's not worry abut that RIGHT now," Misty replied and hugged him. Yeah, right now we just wanted to bask in the success of the proposal. We could think of planning our wedding later, but not right now.

"I know, but I'm just so excited!"

"We know," Misty and I replied with grins. I was surprised he was more excited than I was, and I was pretty damn excited.

"I'm impressed with how y'all thought of everything," Misty told Mokuba and me.

"I had a lot of help from Cynthia, Sally, the staff, Mokuba, and your girlfriends," I admitted. I could see Cynthia's and the staff's faces beam with pride and happiness. I needed to give them a bonus for helping with this. Misty got up and went to hug them and thank them. Awww! She was definitely worthy! I was impressed she so eagerly got up to thank them. She also hugged Mokuba and vowed to call her girlfriends later and thank them.

"Tonight was perfect," she told me and hugged me. I smiled and kissed her and time just slowed down. When she pulled away, she whispered in my ear. "My turn to give you your Valentine."

"What is it?" I asked curiously and eagerly. What did she get me? I was so excited to know.

"You'll see. But first…" Misty began and went and hugged Mokuba again. "Thank you again Mokuba."

"You're welcome Misty," Mokuba replied with a big smile.

"Good night," she bade.

"Good night," Mokuba and I echoed together. Mokuba started to get a Cheshire cat grin and then went upstairs to his room. I think he had an idea of what my Valentine gift was going to be. Misty grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs to my room. Once inside, she shut and locked the door while I stared at her confused. What was going on? She went to the bed.

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read graphic sexual content_

* * *

"So what is it?" I asked. Misty motioned for me to take her robotic aid off, which I did.

"Now the dress," Misty instructed. I obediently unzipped her dress and took it off of her and gasped when I saw a sexy blue lace corset with garter belts, blue lace panties, and blue thigh high stockings. Oh…my…God…I stared at her body hungrily. Oh God…this lingerie looked so hot on her…I felt myself stiffen a little bit. She reached into her bag and got out a jar of edible body paint and a book on sexual positions to try. OH GOD! OH GOD! SHE WAS READY TO GO FOR IT AGAIN! My jaw dropped and I gripped the book and the paint hard. I couldn't believe she was ready to go again! This night just got even more perfect! Well, we might not get to the edible paint or any of the positions in the book tonight, but we'd definitely try it out in the near future. I wanted to save the paint for after we got to taste each other without it first, and the book, I didn't think she was quite strong enough for the positions in the book; however, it was still freaking awesome! I get to make love to her again…wait, I had to be sure…

"A-a-are…y-you…sure?" I asked nervously.

"Si, mi amor," Misty said seductively clawing her hands down my back making me stiffen, shudder and moan. Oh God…that move…Oh God…my pants just got super tight…

"Ohhhh….Misty…" I growled getting so turned on. She turned me around with surprising strength and started taking my clothes off quickly. OH GOD! SHE WAS EAGER! I was now naked, already hard, and I was breathing heavily. She pat the bed inviting me to join her. I slowly sat on the bed and she put my hands on her body. Oh God…I'm touching her the way I'd been dying to for the last week and a half!

"Strip me," Misty commanded. She didn't need to tell me twice! I grinned and then stared unlacing her corset and unclasping and removing the garter belt as fast as my fingers could manage. I was panting heavily and when I got those off, her beautiful breasts were bared. I stared at them hungrily. Oh God they were just as beautiful as I remembered. She put my hands at her panties and urged me to pull them down with her stockings. With pleasure! I almost ripped them off I was so excited. When that beautiful vagina was revealed to me, I stared. It was completely smooth and hairless, and begging for me to play with, taste, and fill. "Touch me," Misty commanded. Oh God! I just might die happy! I was panting so heavily, like I just ran a marathon. I hovered over her and kissed her hard and started caressing and squeezing her breasts. Oh they were so soft and full! We both moaned in pleasure and I squeezed harder and she moaned louder, thus rippling and making me moan louder too. I kissed her face and her neck and started to nibble. I caressed her arms, her breasts, her stomach, and her hips. Ohhh…her curves… she tilted her head to give me better access and she arched upwards at my touch. She moaned in pleasure and wrapped her arms around my torso lightly clawing down my back. I shuddered and moaned again. Oh God…that moved turned me on so much.

"Oh Misty…You have no idea how much that turns me on…" I whispered to her. She clawed down my back harder and I moaned louder and ground my hips and my hard penis against her hips. She squeezed my ass and I groaned in pleasure. I wanted her so bad right now! I kissed further down and then over her silky, creamy breasts and I teased each nipple before latching on and sucking on them for a good two minutes each. I had wanted to try that. Misty moaned and managed to get one hand free and tangle up in my hair and grip it. Oh she liked it.

"Oh Seto…that…feels so…good," Misty said huskily. I nibbled lightly and she gripped tighter. I then kissed down her torso and nipped the skin where I kissed it. Misty moaned a little and I started to dip my tongue into her navel and then started to kiss her hips. I squeezed her, soft, cushy ass and then caressed her thighs and her legs. So silky smooth. Misty twitched in pleasure and was starting to get wet. I knew she was wet, but I wasn't done exploring her so I decided to ignore it and continued to caress her until I reached her feet and then worked my way back up. Misty moaned louder as I came closer to her beautiful vagina, and she moaned even louder than that when I started to rub her clit. Here we go! Time to drive her crazy. she started arching and bucking to my hand and gripping the sheets. Ah yes!

"OH! SETO!" Misty called out. I loved the way she called my name filled with want and need. I rewarded her by rubbing harder and more vigorously, driving her crazy. Misty was panting heavily enjoying every tingling sensation. I liked watching how she responded to me playing with her clit. I continued to vigorously play with her clit and stuck one of my fingers inside her stroking the walls and her g-spot. Ohhh…she was so wet…

"OOOOOHHHHH SETOOO!" Misty moaned loudly and then gasped as she came and her walls tightened. I pulled my finger out and licked it. Her juices tasted kind of spicy and sweet, and JUST slightly bitter. She tasted delicious. I then lapped up her juices straight from the source. Misty trembled from the waves of pleasure while I hovered over her. Her trembling blissed-out look was so hot.

"You taste delicious," I whispered to her. Misty smiled a little bit and I kissed her passionately. She gripped my hair and I pulled back and smirked. "Want to try me?"

"Sure," she smiled, so I sat her up and lied down and then put her on top of me. Misty kissed me passionately and started to run her hands down my torso I moaned with pleasure into the kiss as she caressed my skin. She squeezed my pecs and swirled her fingers around my nipples. Oh yes…that felt good! I stiffened a little and she smirked. She traced fingers around my nipples, and lightly brushed her fingers over my skin making me tremble and moan. I felt a little harder when she did that. She started kissing down my neck nibbling a little and I stiffened a little.

"Like that?" Misty whispered.

"Yes!" I exclaimed eagerly. I wanted more! Misty chuckled and kissed and nibbled her way down to my abs at the same time her hands were exploring them. Misty kissed, licked, and nipped at my cut lines. I gasped and arched upwards. Oh God! I needed her to hurry! She was so close to my hard cock! I groaned and whined a little in anticipation My hard penis was quivering, aching to be touched and tasted. She smirked and then bypassed it caressing and kissing down my legs. What? Why was she torturing me?

"Misty…" I complained. She kissed her way back up and came close and I gasped in anticipation and then growled and groaned when she kissed up my abs and back up to my lips. She was cruel…I kissed back frustrated she bypassed it again. I wish she wouldn't tease me like that… Misty giggled and then kissed me down again and I growled. Oh I'd have to get my revenge if she did that again.

"Don't…tease…me!" I commanded. Misty giggled again. It was not funny!

"But it's fun," she protested. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Don't," I commanded. She chuckled and then licked the tip. I gasped sharply and gripped the sheets tightly. Oh yes! Misty licked the tip again I hoped I could hold it in.. Misty slowly took the whole head of my quivering cock between her lips and swirled her tongue all around it. Oh God! I gripped the sheets tighter and moaned loudly. Misty gripped it with her hands and gently started twisting it and slowly started to swirl her tongue around my penis like it was a Popsicle. OHHHHHH! She made a ring between her index finger and thumb at the base of my penis and squeezed a little. I gasped sharply and moaned even louder at the pressure in my penis now. It was throbbing so much now.

"Oooohhhh Mistyyyy!" I called her name. She continued to let her tongue caress my member and then she positioned her hand to keep the ring around my base and used her other 3 fingers to caress my testicles. OH GOD! I COULDN'T HOLD TOO MUCH LONGER! I moaned even louder and then she decided to blow cool air on them. I gasped and hissed and was writhing in pleasure.

"OH GOD! MISTYYYYY!" I yelled. I was shocked and surprised when she licked one testicle and then took it between her lips for a moment, and then moved onto the other one. I was yelling more now. I was sure I could wake the dead with my yelling. Oh I hoped she'd let me release soon! Misty swirled her tongue back up my throbbing penis and slowly engulfed me and started sucking. OHHHHH! YESSSS! I let go of the sheets and gripped her hair tightly moaning and bucking into her mouth. yelled louder and bucked a little more when she deep throated me and hummed. Oh shit!

"MISTY I'M GOING CRAZY!" I yelled. She rubbed my testicles harder and started pulling back with her mouth and grazed her teeth lightly against my penis. I yelled again and gripped her hair tighter. I was so glad it was light grazing…I was panting heavily and was very, very close. If she did anything else, I was totally going to lose it! Misty slowly moved her hands from my testicles down my perineum. OH GOD! WHAT WAS SHE DOING?

"Misty what are you doing?" I demanded while breathing heavily. In answer, she thumbed my perineum and found what she was looking for. Misty pressed gently and I gasped and yelled as I couldn't take anymore and exploded into her mouth and she swallowed. She licked the tip and pulled off of me. I was numb but trembling violently from the waves of pleasure rolling off of me with a starstruck grin on my face. Wow…Oh…my…God…that was INCREDIBLE!

"You taste good too," Misty whispered to me. I smiled and caressed her cheek tenderly.

"That was incredible…" I whispered. My voice felt a little hoarse from my yelling. Misty smiled and gave me a peck on my lips and rested on top of me while I recovered my wits. She drew invisible random patterns on his skin with her fingers. That felt so good. A few minutes later, I was ready for the main event and started kissing her hungrily. Misty gripped my hair and I gently moved her down to lie on the bed underneath me and only parted the kiss to breathe. I laced fingers with hers and nudged her legs apart with my knee. I pulled away, sat back a moment, and smiled as I lifted her legs up onto my shoulders and then teased the entrance of her vagina with the tip of my super-hard penis. I read this way made it feel even tighter. I wanted her to feel every inch of me inside her.

"Ready… my… love?" I panted and looked into her eyes.

"Take me…" Misty commanded gently. I grinned. Just the answer I wanted.

"With pleasure," I replied huskily and pushed in. We both gasped and moaned loudly at the sensation of me being inside her until I was deep inside. I paused so she could get used to me again and then started pulling back and thrusting again. The friction was incredible! We both moaned loudly enjoying the sensation. I got excited and started thrusting faster and harder. Oh God how I missed this!

"OH GOD MISTY! YOU'RE SO TIGHT!" I exclaimed.

"And…YOU'RE SO…BIG!" She complimented me. OHHH YESSS! Misty gasped and cried out when I started to vigorously stimulate her clit and then starting bucking into me. "Seto…please…move it…a smidge…to the left…" Misty requested while panting. Alright, if that's what she needed. I paused and then moved it to the left until she responded better.  
"Right there! That's the spot!" Misty exclaimed with a shuddering moan and another big buck. There we go! AHHH YESSSS! I was thrusting even harder and faster, pounding into her like a piston.

"OH MISTY!" I exclaimed breathlessly.

"OH SETO!" she exclaimed back. I saw glazed look in her eyes. She was close.

"MISTY! I CAN'T LAST…MUCH…LONGER!" I cried out almost frantically. Oh please cum!

"ALMOST…THERE!" I growled determined to hold on and make her cum, and then started going even faster and harder and played with her clit harder. She gasped sharply and froze as her walls clamped down on me in orgasmic bliss. I growled and yelled loudly as I exploded inside her. I let her legs fall and then lay on top of her but not so I was suffocating her. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me after I pulled out of her. She gazed into my eyes and I smiled at her and kissed her. She was so beautiful. God I felt so happy right now.

* * *

_End of Graphic Sexual Content_

"Best…Valentine's Day…Ever…" I whispered into her ear when I pulled away from the kiss. By damn it really WAS the best damn Valentine's Day I EVER had, though I was sure there'd be more like this one in the future.

"Amen…" she agreed and kissed me again and burrowed closer. When we parted she lay in my arms and I stroked her back and her hair. She felt so good and I loved holding her. She was lulled to sleep and burrowed closer.

"I love you," I whispered and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," she mumbled back and was completely taken under into sleep. I couldn't believe this angel was going to be mine forever, and that we would get to do this more often. I watched her sleep for a little bit and kissed her forehead and her lips before I happily fell asleep too.


	10. Tournament of Doom

~Back to My POV~

3 weeks later…

It had been a hectic 3 weeks. I had been leaving with Seto and Mokuba each morning so Edward could take me to physical therapy after he'd dropped Seto and Mokuba at school, and then when Seto was done with class, he took us to Kaiba Corp. God it felt good to be back here! Seto didn't let me work yet, but he was happy to have me back in the office with him. He made sure I practiced dueling everyday to keep myself sharp for Battle City.

I wrote in my journal each day to mark my progress and did my exercises, some of which included painting and Seto making love to me every night and during our morning shower; both of us enjoyed those particular exercises the most and we made good use of the body paint and positions book I got him. Seto also had my things moved upstairs to his room.

I felt so much stronger and I no longer had to wear my robotic aid anymore. I still had to use a cane to help support myself, but I was almost completely healed. Seto, Mokuba, the staff at the mansion and Cynthia, my girlfriends, the doctor, and Mr. Howell were completely impressed with my progress. I was interviewed and that was published along with my journal about my experience with the robotic aid in a medical magazine.

Additionally, we had gone to court and given our testimonies for the night of the car accident. Seto's lawyers had done a HELL of a job ensuring our case was as solid as diamonds to get the biggest settlement possible for our damages. We had a mountain of evidence against the driver to show the damage he'd done. The drunk driver was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and we were awarded 3,000,000 yen.

Everything had been crazy, but it was going well for now.

Today, we were packing and doing last minute preparations for Battle City. While I was helping Seto, I froze up as a premonition started playing before my eyes and felt so eerily real.

_I was in a dark, sinister, purplish version of Downtown Domino and as I was walking with my cane down the streets with a dueldisk on my arm, I could feel a sinister pair of eyes watching every move I made. I heard a sinister laugh screeching through my ears. I started running as best I could to try to escape the eyes and the voice, but it was useless. I then ran into a man wearing a purple cloak and in his left hand he was holding this gold rod with a freaky eye in the middle of this hourglass shape. He looked over me and cackled sinisterly. _

"_Who are you?" I demanded. _

"_I am Marik Ishtar, and you, my dear, are my new slave!" the man replied in a deep, sinister voice. He raised his rod to me and I felt an agonizing, head-splitting headache as my soul, which was wearing a luminescent, pearly-white gown, was separated from my body and chained to a rock in a crucifixion pose. I looked and saw my demon-possessed body dueling Seto and Seto was losing. Suddenly I was on the edge of the cliff where my body stood and my LP had been blown away. I looked up at Seto, collapsed, and then started falling to the rocky water below. _

"_MISTY!" Seto yelled and I felt myself being roughly shaken._ I snapped out of my trance, blinked and saw Seto's sapphire eyes wide with alarm.

"Oh thank God...You scared me…" Seto sighed with relief and hugged me tight. "What happened? You were helping me and then all of a sudden you froze up and had this scary blank look on your face. I tried snapping you out of it, but wasn't able to until just a moment ago," he explained. I hugged him tightly.

"I had a premonition…" I replied gloomily. Seto held me back tightly. I could tell he was scared especially since I had said the word "premonition", and he knew it wasn't good.

"What'd…you see?" Seto asked nervously.

"I felt a sinister pair of eyes watching my every move, heard sinister laughter to match the eyes, and ran into a man named Marik Ishtar. He was wearing a purple cloak and had this gold eye rod in his hand. He used the rod to give me an agonizing headache that separated my soul from my body and chained it to a rock in a crucifixion pose. My possessed body dueled you. You were losing, and then I found myself on the edge of the cliff where we'd been dueling, my LP was blown away, I collapsed, and then I fell off the cliff towards some rocky water…" I recanted and squeezed him tighter.

"Oh Misty…" Seto said and his arms tightened.

"ACK! Can't breathe!" I gasped and started to flail. Seto loosened his hold a little.

"Sorry…but I just can't handle the thought of that happening to you…" he replied.

"I'm a little scared…" I admitted and buried my face into his chest, a few tears falling. "I'm going to be possessed, dueling against you, and falling off the edge of a cliff…"

"Mokuba and I will do everything in our power to protect you," Seto promised and kissed my forehead. "Nobody's going to take you from me without a fight!" Seto declared. "I want you to stay close to me and Mokuba during Battle City. We'll protect you," Seto promised and kissed my lips gently. He held me close for a few minutes until I felt better.

"Let's finish getting packed and ready," I suggested and we resumed our previous duties silently.

At dinner, Mokuba and Cynthia noticed how I was a bit distant and slightly gloomy and Seto was deeply concerned for me.

"Misty? What's wrong? You're not yourself tonight," Mokuba pointed out.

"I had a premonition…" I explained. Mokuba gasped as he realized the meaning.

"Oh Misty…we'll protect you! Don't worry about a thing!" Mokuba promised. He was so sweet to declare that, but I felt conflicted about believing him; I couldn't let them know that.

"Thanks Mokuba…" I replied. We ate our dinner and continued to get ready in silence. I know they wanted to talk to me, but I just didn't have the heart to talk.

At bedtime, Seto held me close to his body and stroked my hair and my back.

"Talk to me please, your silence is driving me crazy," Seto whispered.

"What about?" I asked.

"Anything…" Seto replied. "I just hate seeing you so gloomy…"

"I hate feeling like it too, but I know it'll happen…I'm just worried…" I explained.

"Don't…you'll only make me worry about you and everything else."

"Well, distract me then…" I commanded. Seto kissed me deeply caressing my face. I had to admit that was helping.

"Better?"

"A little," I admitted.

"Only a little?"

"Yes, a little," I retorted. "Just so you know, I'm not in the mood tonight…" His eyes widened in surprise like I caught him off guard.

"I didn't think you were…I wasn't even going to push it," Seto told me.

"Oh…" I said sheepishly.

"Let's talk about something else…" Seto suggested. "We could talk about wedding details if you want." My lip pursed.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about wedding details right now," I replied.

"Okay…just an idea…" Seto retorted defensively. He seemed surprised that I didn't want to talk about wedding details.

_"Well, most girls would be excited to gush and discuss wedding details when they're engaged," my inner self interjected. _

_"I know, and I am too, but not right now," I retorted. _

_"Alright, just relax," my inner self replied defensively. "Geez, you really need to chill out and relax,"_

_"How can I relax if I saw myself get captured, split from my body which becomes possessed and duels Seto, and then I fall off a cliff and could possibly drown?" I demanded. _

_"Seto and Mokuba promised they weren't going to let that happen, or they would at least do their best," my inner self reminded me. I pursed my lips again. "Think about something else. We know what's going to happen, but you don't need that stress right now, and I really mean that," my inner self. What?_

_"What do you mean you 'really mean I don't need that stress right now'?" I asked. Something was weird about that answer. I don't know why it felt weird._

_"Take a guess…" my inner self answered cryptically. _

_"Damnit! I'm not in the mood for this shit!" I hissed. _

_"Fine, fine…" _

"Well, if it helps…think about how you're going to obliterate whoever challenges you tomorrow, particularly Wheeler," Seto told me. I smirked a little. That did help.

"There we go, a partial smile," Seto observed. I smiled a little wider involuntarily. "That's much better."

"Hopefully I meet him soon tomorrow so I can knock his obnoxious ass down," I remarked. Seto chuckled.

"I hope so too," Seto concurred and kissed me again. I smiled into the kiss feeling better.

"And even if you don't see him tomorrow you can still destroy him in the finals," Seto added.

"True," I agreed. "Hey, if I do end up having to duel you, aside from the likely duel I told you about from my premonition, do you want it easy or do you want it fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want an easy victory, or a fun one? Easy would be instant surrender, fun would be actually dueling me for a while and actually winning," I explained.

"I want a fun one. But what makes you sure I'm going to win that duel?" Seto asked.

"Oh my God…Big Bad Seto Kaiba is doubting his dueling skills!" I teased. He gave me a mock scowl. "I know you'll win because I have faith in you, and also, I could get tired and let you win," I winked. Seto smirked.

"You're so sweet," Seto remarked and kissed me again and hugged me.

"It's because I love you and I know you want that crowning glory. Me, I'd rather you have it; I don't need it. I'll be your Queen of Games by default." Seto smiled wider and hugged me closer.

"I love you," Seto whispered.

"Te amo tambien," I whispered back. Seto shuddered.

"Let's get some sleep my love. We have a big day ahead," Seto suggested after a few minutes.

"Alright," I agreed and nuzzled up against him and let his heartbeat lull me to sleep.

_I had another scary dream…it wasn't the same premonition as I had earlier, but something much more frightening. In this dream, I was in this scary, dark, purple realm, and I was being brutally tortured and I had to protect my belly at all costs. In some cases I watched helplessly as Seto and Mokuba were being tortured. I know I was screaming and thrashing as I was being tortured and then I felt myself being shaken._

_"MISTY!" I heard Seto calling to me frantically as I was being shaken. _I gasped as I realized Seto was holding my arms and was staring into my eyes with a panicky look.

"Misty? What happened? You were screaming and thrashing violently, and you punched me as you were trying to protect your belly," Seto told me. I latched onto him and started crying because I was just so relieved to see him.

"T-t-torture…" I explained between my broken sobs.

"Oh Misty…" Seto said as he held me tightly and rubbed my back and stroked my hair in an attempt to soothe me. I was breathing heavily as I finally calmed down. There was a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" Seto asked. The door slowly opened.

"Is everything alright Seto? I heard screaming," Mokuba asked. I looked his way and he saw my face and my desperate clinging to his brother. "Misty? What happened? Did you have another premonition?" I nodded and he came closer and joined in on the hug.

"What was it?"

"Torture…" I answered still shaken up.

"Oh Misty," Mokuba remarked as he tried to assist his brother in soothing me. It was a good 20 minutes before I felt calm and relaxed and they were satisfied.

"I'm going back to bed…I hope you have good dreams Misty," Mokuba told me with a hug and then went back to his room. Seto kissed me again and held me tight against his body as we drifted off back to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, please," I heard him whisper before I was taken under into sleep again.

Luckily, I had normal bizarre dreams after that.

The next morning, we got ready for the Tournament Kickoff. Seto was going to make the announcement tonight, and then tomorrow the tournament was going to begin. Seto took Mokuba and me to the office to ensure we had everything wrapped up and ready for tomorrow. For once in the last 6 or more weeks, Seto let me work because he really needed the help and he felt I was strong enough to work. It felt great to be working again. After work, we had a quick dinner and went home to get changed and ready. I wore a nice green sundress with a tie-sash, while Seto wore a long, sleeveless, studded, white cloak; a black long sleeve shirt with buckles on his biceps and silver cuffs; black leather pants and black boots with buckles on the calves. Mokuba wore jeans, sneakers, and a blue striped shirt with a yellow vest. We went back to Kaiba Corp. and got in the helicopter at about 8 p.m. and then we hovered over the area that would be closed off for the tournament. Seto lowered the rope ladder, climbed down halfway, and then explained the rules: 1) Nobody can refuse a challenge or they have to automatically give up their rarest card and locator cards 2) There will be 6 locator cards and each person has 1 of 6 locator cards to start. Each person must collect all 6 in order to advance to the semi-finals 3) the dueldisk created by Kaiba Corp. would be used to duel people 4) each duelist was expected to duel with integrity and cheating will not be tolerated.

"If I, my brother Mokuba, my fiancée Misty, or any of my staff discover anybody is cheating, that person will be publicly ousted and disqualified from the tournament." I heard a collective gasp from down below.

"Fiancée? He's engaged?" I heard people muttering down below.

"ONCE AGAIN, IF WE CATCH YOU CHEATING, YOU WILL BE PUBLICLY OUSTED AND DISQUALIFIED!" Seto called to the crowd louder and seemingly more annoyed that they were more concerned with his relationship status than the rules. They listened better the second time. He climbed back up and we helped him back into the helicopter. We landed back at Kaiba Corp. and took the limo home.

"Thank you for your help today Misty," Seto told me with a kiss.

"You're welcome. It felt good to be back to work with you," I replied.

"I'm excited about tomorrow!" Mokuba gushed.

"Yeah, I kinda am too," I chimed in.

"Kinda?"

"Remember? My premonition is likely to happen tomorrow…" I reminded him.

"Oh…right…" Mokuba replied sheepishly and his bubble of enthusiasm seemed to sink heavily like lead. I felt bad for taking his enthusiasm away.

"We'll protect you," Seto declared. "Stay as close as you can to me and Mokuba, and I'll give you a GPS chip so I can keep track of your whereabouts if we get separated somehow," Seto assured me. I smiled a little at his reassurance.

"Just think of us as your personal bodyguards," Mokuba chimed in. I smiled wider and hugged Mokuba.

"You're so precious," I complimented him. He beamed happily.

"Well we should probably get some rest for tomorrow," Seto interjected.

"Right," Mokuba and I agreed.

"Good night Misty, Good night Seto," Mokuba bade and hugged us before going to his room. Seto wrapped his arm around my waist, kissed the top of my head.

"Want some…exercise…to help you relax?" Seto whispered in my ear with a smirk.

"If you think it'll help…" I answered.

"Oh it'll help distract you," Seto assured me. "Maybe it'll help you have good sleep too."

"Only one way to find out," I smirked. Seto smirked back, swept me off my feet and carried me to our room, locked the door, and carried me to the bed.

We kissed passionately and made love at least 3 times before we fell asleep happily. He was right…it did help me sleep peacefully. We had another round in the shower, as usual, and I was feeling so relaxed. I dressed into a turquoise tee, jeans, and my black cross-strapped Mary Janes and was ready to charge and kick all the other duelist's asses. There was something I should be worried about, but I didn't know what. Oh well… I was in too good of a mood to care right now.

"Misty, you look great this morning!" Mokuba remarked. "You look so eager!"

"I feel eager Mokuba," I retorted cheerily and hugged him. Mokuba chuckled delighted.

"Today's going to be so fun." Mokuba declared.

"Yeah," I agreed. Seto joined us wearing the same outfit as last night and we ate breakfast together. Afterwards, Seto handed me a necklace from my jewelry box.

"Wear this. It has a GPS chip on it," he commanded. I smiled a little and lifted my hair so he could put it on. Then we got into the limo and it dropped us off at Kaiba Corp. and the games had begun. Seto and Mokuba stayed far enough back from me to let me duel, but they were close enough to come to my aid when necessary, about 50 yards. They stayed within sight distance, like a mother animal would with her cubs. Naturally, since I had a cane, I was quickly descended upon like flies to a corpse. I had duelist after duelist challenge me and lose. It didn't take long for me to get all 6 locator cards and I didn't even have to leave the area.

"That'll teach you punks to mess with an injured person!" I yelled brandishing my cane and winced a little. Too much… I looked around for Seto and Mokuba and noticed they weren't within sight distance anymore. Where were they? Shit…I was alone…I hobble-walked with my cane frantically looking for them and saw a few effigies of me hanging from flagpoles and burning with charred tabloid pictures of me and Seto with the headline reading "Seto Kaiba Is Engaged!" Lovely… Thankfully a few minutes later I was reunited with them to my relief.

"There you are Misty," Mokuba remarked.

"Why did y'all leave me?" I demanded irritably. "I was a bit nervous when y'all weren't within sight distance anymore."

"We're sorry Misty, we had to stop a cheater," Seto apologized and hugged me.

"Don't leave me like that again! It could've happened!" I snarled.

"We're sorry. We'll stay by your side at all times," Mokuba promised and joined in on the hug. I was just so relieved, all the irritation I felt melted away in their embrace.

"So did you have any duels already?" Seto asked.

"Yes, I did. I had at least 10-15. I lost count. I have all 6 locator cards," I replied. Seto and Mokuba smiled.

"That was fast, and great," Seto complimented me and kissed me. "I'm proud of you. I knew you'd be fantastic."

"That's awesome Misty!" Mokuba exclaimed eagerly. I smiled proudly and reveled in the moment with them before we started walking around together. I watched them duel and helped them humiliate and eject the cheaters. Seto asked Mokuba and me to run an errand for him, and I felt my nerves prick up as we were running said errand.

"Mokuba, stay close," I commanded.

"What's wrong Misty?" Mokuba asked.

"The cloaked rare hunters are close…and we're about to be grabbed…" I warned. I froze and felt my nerves prick up stronger. "Let's hurry." I told him panicked. Mokuba nodded, and we were running…as best as we could. We skidded to a stop when we saw cloaked rare hunters blocking our path, and then more surrounded us. Mokuba stood next to me trying to shield me, but then I took a fighting stance in front of him gripping my cane tightly, ready to swing it like a bat. They neared closer and closer and I know I hit some of them with my cane and I tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them and they had us captured and tied up.

"I'm sorry Mokuba…I failed you," I apologized softly.

"No Misty…you didn't…if anything, I failed you… I broke my promise to help keep you safe…" Mokuba told me. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course…" I replied with a weak smile.

"How touching…but either way you're both doomed," one of the hooded figures told us with a voice that sounded exactly like the one from my premonition. My blood chilled.

"You...You're Marik!" I said to the rare hunter who spoke.

"Sort of my dear. The rare hunters are doing my work for me until I get there. Think of them as my proxies," "Marik" replied, apparently using this rare hunter to speak for him. The rare hunters carried us up to the top floor of a building and tied the end of our ropes to the skids of the helicopter. We tried to fight them off but it was useless. They got into the helicopter and lifted off and then Mokuba and I were dangling 200 feet or so above the city.

"HELP US!" Mokuba was yelling as we were flying. I couldn't say anything because the straight down vertigo was starting to affect me. The ground seemed so much further away. I squirmed and hissed as my cane nudged into my side with my movements. The next thing we saw was Seto and that spiky-haired punk Yugi about to duel two rare hunters. One of them was a fat, short one, like Danny DeVito, and the other was a tall, lean one. If I wasn't so freaked out and affected by vertigo, I would've burst out laughing at the "Twins" movie reference. I barely heard what the rare hunters about to duel Seto and Yugi had said, but I could tell it wasn't good.

"Seto! Help us!" Mokuba and I both pleaded our eyes both wide with fear. "Help Us Seto!" we begged over and over. Seto stared at us a moment and then turned his rage towards the two rare hunters. The helicopter lifted and Mokuba and I both tried to keep begging Seto to help us until he was out of our sight. A few minutes later, the helicopter landed at a warehouse and the rare hunters untied us from the helicopter skids.

"Let us go!" I snarled as they stood us up and dragged us inside the warehouse and cut the ropes free. They locked the door and left us alone.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked and ran to me as I sank to my feet.

"I'm okay Mokuba. How about yourself?" I asked.

"I'm okay," Mokuba replied and helped me to me feet and steady me.

"Mokuba?" I heard a woman ask. That voice sounded familiar. Who was it?

"Tea!" Mokuba exclaimed as the same short-haired stupid brunette girl that was in the group with Yugi and that mutt Wheeler came into view.

"Misty?" Tea asked in surprise as she saw me and looked me over.

"What the hell are you looking at?" I hissed.

"What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Tea bombarded me.

"If you must know, I'm in the tournament too…I thought that was obvious enough. Secondly, I was in a car accident saving Seto and almost died. Does that answer your question?" I shot back. "I'm recovering." Tea was silent.

"HEY! GET YA GRUBBY PAWS OFFA ME!" I heard Wheeler yell and was thrown into the room we were in. He yelled after the rare hunters as they shut the door.

"Shut the fuck up Wheeler. I'm getting a headache already," I commanded. Joey shut up and looked at me.

"Oh great, it's you…Kaiba's whore…" Joey retorted and his eyes narrowed.

"SHE'S NOT A WHORE YOU MUTT! APOLOGIZE TO MY FUTURE SISTER!" Mokuba commanded fiercely and hit Joey in the back of the head.

"OW!" Joey yelled.

"NOW WHEELER!" Mokuba demanded.

"Take it easy Mokuba," Tea interjected trying to keep the peace.

"NO! BACK OFF!" Mokuba snarled. Wow…I had never seen him like that. "APOLOGIZE!"

"Fine…I'm sorry…for callin'…ya…a whore…" Wheeler apologized.

"Fine, I'll take your lameass apology," I hissed.

"Wait a minute…Did you just say 'Future Sister' Mokuba?" Tea asked. God she was slow.

"Yes I did," Mokuba replied.

"About time you catch up…" I retorted.

"YOU'RE MARRYING KAIBA?" Wheeler and Tea yelled in shock as their jaws dropped and their eyes bulged. I smiled at their reaction and took a picture with my phone. Fucking epic. I couldn't wait to show Seto this picture after he found us. I felt a twitch…oh right…my premonition.

"So now there's going to be a bitch AND a jerk moneybags…" Wheeler remarked. "OH THE HUMANITY!" I hobbled over and smacked him upside the head with my cane.

"OWWW!" Wheeler whined and rubbed his head.

"That's for calling me a bitch! The more you do it, the more I'll do that," I warned dangerously. I turned to Tea. "That goes for you too!" Tea gulped nervously. A moment of silence passed by.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Mokuba asked.

"I don't know…there has to be a way out," Tea answered with a bit of a whine in her voice. I looked around and saw a window pretty high up.

"There!" I snapped and pointed at the window. "Start moving and stacking these boxes!" I commanded and started scooting boxes with my cane to Mokuba, Tea, and Wheeler. "Help me up there!" I snarled and I grimaced as I let Tea and Wheeler help me up onto the first two levels of the box pyramid. Ewww! They touched me! Note to self: Take an intense shower later and wash off their loser germs. I helped Mokuba up as best as I can and let him stand on my shoulders when I was against the wall. He unlocked the window and I was starting to shake.

"Is everything okay?" Tea asked.

"Shut up! You're going to make me drop him!" I hissed through my teeth. Mokuba was hanging onto the ledge now.

"Got it!" Mokuba called as his fingers gripped the windowsill and started turning white. "Misty, see if you can give me a bigger boost," Mokuba instructed. I took a deep breath and stood on my tiptoes. I was breathing heavily from the pain I was enduring.

"HURRY MOKUBA! I CAN'T HOLD MUCH LONGER!" I commanded. At that moment, my toes gave out and I collapsed onto the boxes making the pyramid tumble. Owww…

"MISTY! Are you alright?" Mokuba asked frantically as he dangled there. I groaned a little in response.

"Pull…yourself…up…Mokuba…go get your brother…" I commanded. Mokuba grunted and groaned and lifted himself through the window. "Excellent Mokuba, now go find Seto!"

"Not without you!" Mokuba replied and extended his arm through the window to reach me and try to pull me up. I moved a few boxes over and clumsily got on top of them and grabbed his hand. He tried to pull me up.

"Misty…you're so heavy…help me…" Mokuba whined. I tried lifting myself up.

"HEY! THEY'RE ESCAPING!" A rare hunter exclaimed and alerted his fellow cronies. SHIT! SHIT! I made Mokuba let me go.

"Misty? What are you doing?" Mokuba demanded.

"MOKUBA! GO! NOW!" I demanded urgently and was grabbed just after I made him let go. Tea, Wheeler, and I screamed and yelled for them to let us go, but they wouldn't. Tea and I watched as they took Wheeler away and we could hear him yelling and then silence. They brought him back in and his brown eyes looked blank. The rare hunters turned their attention to Tea and me. They held that same gold eye rod above her head and I heard her yell and scream and go silent and turn into a zombie like Wheeler. The rare hunters then looked at me and approached. I tried to fight again to escape, but it was no use. They held the gold eye rod above my head and I could feel the worst headache I've ever had in my whole life. I screamed in agony and everything went black and then all blindingly white.

When I woke up, I felt a hard rock against my back, my ankles chained together, and my arms hanging above my head with a chain cuff attached to each wrist with a 1" gap between my skin and the metal. I noticed I was wearing the same luminescent white gown from my premonition. The sky had an eerie purple color to it and I could see frightening faces ghosting through the sky.

"Look who's finally awake," Wheeler announced. I saw he and Tea were attached to their own rocks and they were wearing luminescent white clothes like I was. I also immediately noticed a man with tan skin, a lean, muscular body, SERIOUSLY spiky platinum blond hair, evil purple eyes, and he was holding the same rod that the cloaked rare hunters had used to bring me here. He was smirking evilly at us and even cackled.

"Yes, it is finally nice of you to join us," he replied using a clear version of Marik's voice.

"You…You're Marik…" I observed. "Marik" just cackled in response.

"LET US OUTTA HERE!" Wheeler yelled and rattled his chain. Marik cackled harder to the point I thought he was going to have a brain hemorrhage.

"On the contrary. I'm going to use you and her to bring the pharaoh down," Marik replied and showed us a portal in which the rare hunters had tied Tea to a chair under a crane holding what looked like a huge dumpster over her head and put her arms in the restraints. Wheeler's body led Yugi and the loser squad to the docks and Marik used his body to challenge Yugi to a deadly duel. If either one of them lost or neither failed to win within an hour, the loser or both would be dragged to the bottom of the ocean with a contraption worn at the ankles.

"WHAT? YOU MONSTA! WHY WOULD YOU MAKE MY BODY DO DIS?" Wheeler snarled.

"Easy. I want the pharaoh to be destroyed by his own best friend and I want that Slifer the Sky Dragon. You will get it for me. You know he'll never say no to a friend," Marik answered with a maniacal hyena laugh.

"The power of Yugi's friendship with Joey will get through to him and will conquer your hold over Joey!" Tea declared. I rolled my eyes and rotated my wrist and mimed shooting myself in the head with my fingers at that talk. God… why did I have to get stuck with Little Miss Friendship and Cocky-Ass? That was worse than this whole ordeal.

"Wait, where's my body?" I asked as I noticed my body was nowhere in sight. "WHAT THE LIVING HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BODY?" I demanded angrily.

"Relax. Nothing is going on with your body…yet… I'm waiting for the right moment to bring it out to face against your beloved fiancé. That will be later after I deal with the pharaoh through Wheeler's body," Marik answered. I was satisfied at least nothing was happening to my body right now. I had to get out of here. I felt a strong magnetic desire to stealthily escape my bonds as the duel below went on. On some occasions, I noticed Wheeler gaining control of his body, but he was quickly overtaken by Marik. That was fascinating, but my soul needed to kick Marik's ass right here as soon as I got free. He made the gap loose enough for me to wriggle free. All I had to do was keep rattling to do this stealthily. I rattled the chains to make it look like I was struggling and fighting, stopping every so often to rest. Marik paid no attention to me; he was too busy trying to keep Wheeler controlled, but he was failing. I had to admit that idiot Wheeler was pretty strong against Marik, but then again, I had a bad feeling Marik had worse stuff in store for me than what he was doing to Wheeler. Wheeler managed to pull through and get his body back and all was hunky dory except for the fact that both were pulled underwater. Pity. A redhead girl ripped her eye bandages off and dove in. The three of them came out of the water and were released from Marik's spell. Yawn. Marik turned to me for the first time in a while and had a menacing smirk.

"Well I might not have had a success against the pharaoh with that pathetic Joey Wheeler, but at least you will break Seto Kaiba for me now," Marik promised with an evil smirk. "It's a pity I can't keep you after you fulfill your duty to me. You would be a valuable asset."

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"After you get Obelisk the Tormentor, you're going to die," Marik explained casually. I gasped.

"Why?" I demanded frantically.

"Because with you gone, he won't be a threat and he'll bend to my will," Marik replied.

"YOU SICK, STUPID, SADISTIC ASSHOLE!" I snarled.

"It is a shame I can't keep you after you beat him. You are quite strong and capable and I could use you to defeat the pharaoh and the others, but it would be beautiful because not only would he lose the tournament, he'd lose you and have that crushing pain to deal with forever. But all that aside, look down there, right there," Marik commanded and pointed to the corner of what was going down below. There was my body! However, it was a frightening version of me. I looked like a zombie down there. I saw my body hold Seto's hand and have a demon smirk. Seto turned around horrorstruck when he saw my body.

"Misty…" Seto said horrorstruck and let go of my hand. Marik cackled evilly through my voice.

"What's the matter baby?" Marik mocked. Seto looked furious. His jaw clenched and his fists balled up tightly and his eyes glared icy daggers at my body.

"MARIK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MISTY?" Seto snarled. Marik laughed.

"Hello Kaiba. Welcome to your nightmare come to life!" Marik retorted.

"LET HER GO!" Seto commanded. Marik cackled.

"No. You have to win her back," Marik retorted and my body started walking and then paused. "You want her back? Well you'll have to duel for her. This way," Marik added and continued walking.

"No! Let's duel right here right now!" Seto demanded and got his dueldisk ready. Marik ignored him and my body kept walking. "I SAID LET'S DUEL NOW! IT'S AGAINST THE RULES TO DECLINE OR IGNORE A CHALLENGE!" Seto snarled. My body turned slowly and eerily toward him, Mokuba, and the loser squad.

"If I recall I challenged YOU first and I gave specific instructions for YOU to follow ME. Now you follow me or I will kill her right here, right now," Marik threatened and pulled a knife from one of my pockets and held the blade against my neck. Oh shit…I could see everyone's eyes bulging out of their heads at me holding the knife against my neck. Oh Seto please don't make him do this…

"What's it going to be Kaiba? Do you want her to die right now because you're so damn impatient, or are you willing to take on my challenge, follow me, and have the chance to save her?" Seto hesitated a moment.

"Lead the way…" Seto said reluctantly.

"That's what I thought," Marik snapped and put the knife back in my pocket and my body continued to walk. We stopped at the edge of a cliff…no, THE cliff from my premonitions. I stepped back near the edge and threw my cane out of the way. Oh no…

"Remember, one false move and she falls. Let's start," Marik told him and readied my dueldisk. Seto readied his dueldisk and the duel was on.

Naturally since I was so good at dueling against Seto in practice, he was having a hard time winning against me and he was getting scared. Shit. I had to hurry and get free.

I wriggled my hand slowly through the cuff after rattling for a bit. I freed my hand and flexed my hand and rotated my wrist and kept rattling my right hand chain. Luckily there was a gap around my ankles. I flexed my foot so my heel pointed upwards, turned my foot to the side and wriggled it free and then went to work on getting my other foot free. I kept rattling my chains to keep up the charade and whenever Marik checked on me, he didn't suspect a thing and returned to the duel. I held onto my chains and used my free foot to slide the chains over my bound foot like I would kick off a shoe with my foot.

I looked over at the duel and saw Seto panicking more and more as the duel went on. He was dueling pretty hard, but Marik in my body was kicking his ass from here to the moon like a hackie sack. He was down to his last 500 LP while Marik/"I" had 2500 LP left. Seto looked completely and utterly hopeless. I decided to mimic what I saw with Wheeler when he was trying to pep talk Yugi during their duel. I forced my way through to my own body using immense mental strength.

"DON'T GIVE UP SETO! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP!" I commanded sharply.

"M-Misty?" Seto asked surprised and relieved to hear my voice.

"STAY STRONG! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS! AND IF YOU FAIL, SO HELP ME I WILL HAUNT YOU FOR ETERNITY!" I scolded him sharply. I could tell I boosted his confidence just a little, but he needed to pull his ass out of this mess.

"Little bitch! She will pay big time when this is over!" Marik swore. "Back to the duel! Say Good-bye!" Marik commanded and cackled evilly as he prepared to attack Seto one last time. I was really rattling the chains trying to get my other hand free. The chain shimmied over my hand and then I was free. Seto's sapphire eyes were wide with alarm knowing he didn't have any more moves to make that would turn the tide in his favor.

"Any last words for your beloved Misty?" Marik retorted demonically and cackled.

"Misty… I'm sorry… I…f-failed…I love you…" Seto said quietly. I gasped. He'd given up!

"SETOOOOOO!" I screamed using my real, natural voice through my body. Just then, his deck glowed a moment. Whoa… what was that? A miracle? Oh God I hoped so… I was hurrying towards Marik as fast and as silently as I could manage.

"SETO! PLAY IT!" Mokuba commanded frantically. Play what? I watched and then Seto drew a card and smirked, made some sacrifices and played a HUGE, blue, demon-looking monster.

"MEET OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" Seto yelled triumphantly and I could see a breeze pick up around the field. His usual, cool, confident demeanor had returned. I could also see in his sapphire eyes that he was immensely relieved.

"Impossible!" Marik remarked knowing he couldn't do anything else with my cards after that. Oh thank God…

"She's never gone against THIS card before. YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR TAKING HER AND MY BROTHER AND MESSING WITH MY TOURNAMENT!" Seto crowed. Pretty soon, Seto had regained control of the battle and was working on obliterating Marik's/"My" LP.

While Seto was working on destroying Marik's/"My" LP, I had come up to Marik and started beating the living shit out of him. I punched him as hard as I could muster, repeatedly, kicked him in the groin, gave a roundhouse kick to his gut, and was double-hammering the sides of his head. I reclaimed the control to my body and whooshed through and felt my senses hit me all at once. I kept my head bowed and Seto had just blown away the last of "my" LP. I heard Mokuba and the loser squad cheer loudly.

"WAY TO GO BRO! YOU SAVED HER!" Mokuba exclaimed happily. I could feel the surge of pride Seto felt for beating me.

"I won! Now release Misty like you promised!" Seto commanded with a bit of a triumphant snarl. I looked up at him with a smile.

"MISTY!" Seto and Mokuba exclaimed. I tried walking over to them, but I collapsed on the rock and hissed in pain. I took my dueldisk off to examine my scrapes and get up easier.

"Where's…my cane?" I asked as I tried to push myself up.

"Misty!" Seto and Mokuba exclaimed with deep concern as they tried to come closer to me to help me up. They had to approach me cautiously. I don't know how Marik managed a whole duel using my body on such a finicky ledge… I pushed myself to my feet, but I was still shaky.

"Hang on Misty! We'll come to you and get you!" Mokuba told me.

"This ledge is finicky!" I warned him. I didn't want the extra weight to make it shift and crumble. I took a shaky step forward not used to the pressure and weight without the cane to help. Yes, I was trying to wean myself off the cane, but I still needed it because I was still unbalanced. Mokuba moved my dueldisk away and he and Seto moved closer.

"Can we hurry dis reunion up? I'm getting' old watching dis!" Wheeler whined.

"SHUT UP YOU DOG!" Seto, Mokuba, and I shot back. I took another cautious and shaky step and my foot slipped on a rock and I lost my balance over the side. I tried to right myself, but I was hanging on the edge of the cliff by my fingers.

"MISTY!" Seto, Mokuba, and the rest of the loser squad yelled as their eyes widened in horror. I was scared and my fingers were white trying to hold on, but my fingers were slipping.

"HELP!" I screamed. Seto and Mokuba were at the edge and reached to pull me up but my fingers had slipped and I fell. I wanted to scream, but no sound emerged from my throat. I was falling backward and time felt like it slowed down.

"MISTY!" Seto and Mokuba screamed but it sounded so far away and in slow motion. I then hit the water and barely missed the rocks but the water stabbed me. I wanted to cry from the serious stabbing pain. I was so stunned I just sank in the cold, dark water for a couple minutes. I felt a rock by my foot and tried to steady myself and then swim up, but my foot hit a crevice and got stuck. Shit! I bent down to free my foot, but I was finding it hard to get my foot completely free. Everything was starting to get blurry and I was feeling lightheaded. I was drowning.

"_I never thought I'd die this way… There's… no way…to return… after this…" I thought._

"_Don't talk like that! Seto's…coming!" my inner self retorted frantically but I could tell she wasn't 100% sure. _

"_You don't sound so sure…" I replied. _

"_He's coming! I know he is!" she declared. _

"_I…hope…you're right…" I replied as everything went completely dark and then bright white again and I found myself in line again up at the Pearly Gates._ Luckily, there were only a few people ahead of me. When it was finally my turn, St. Peter saw me and groaned.

"You again? Seriously?" St. Peter remarked irritably. "I TOLD YOU A MONTH AGO WE ARE NOT READY FOR YOU! WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

"Stop yelling at me! God gave me a gift of foresight that comes true, so how the hell is this my fault?" I snapped.

"Get back to work down there!" St. Peter commanded and then looked at me and smiled. "Good, good, you're already started on the work you're supposed to do."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. I was so confused. One minute he was yelling at me for returning, the next he was in a good mood.

"You know," St. Peter replied with a knowing smile as he looked at my stomach. I looked at him oddly.

"No, I don't know…" I replied honestly. St. Peter shrugged.

"Well, you will know soon enough," he replied cryptically. Ugh! I was so sick and tired of others knowing something about me I didn't know. I growled irritably.

"Back to your question, yes, God gave you a gift of foresight, but it was meant to kick in your protective, survival instincts. He gives that gift to Guardians on Earth. He assigned you to Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. The outcomes of your visions were meant to change when you acted to change the outcome using your instincts, but however, there is a demon hanging on Seto that is interfering with the visions and making them come true. This demon does not want them to be happy. It's your mission to bring them to the light, and give them happy, fulfilling lives. You can't attain that mission if you're dead. They need you. You are to be with them until we call you up." I was speechless. "Now if you don't have anything else to say, get back there now!" St. Peter commanded as he pulled the "Return to Earth" cord and the blue spiral appeared again and the security angels pushed me through. I screamed as I fell through the spiral and could feel my senses hitting me as I returned to my body. My eyes were still closed at the moment, but I felt Seto's lips on mine breathing air into me frantically and compressing on my chest.

"Come on Misty! Breathe damnit! Don't leave me!" Seto begged urgently and I heard a hitch in his voice like he was crying.

"Misty…please come back!" Mokuba begged me while crying. Seto breathed into me again and I couldn't help coughing and opening my eyes. He hugged me tightly and then so did Mokuba.

"Oh Misty! Thank God you're alive!" They exclaimed relieved. I felt like a rag doll in their embrace.

"Ack! Can't…breathe… and just got…my breath back…" I told them. They loosened their arms just a little but still held me.

"We were…so…scared…you…wouldn't…come back!" Mokuba told me, his words punctuated by sniffles.

"Well…you…have me…for a long…time…" I replied weakly and coughed again. My lips and body shivered with the cold and Seto called one of his associates to bring a blanket. Seto wrapped it around the three of us and rubbed his hands against my arms to create a warming friction.

"Take us home, quickly!" Seto commanded and his pilot assured him he would.

"You were out for so long!" Mokuba told me as he buried his head in my shoulder.

"H-how…long…was…I out?" I asked.

"You were…out…for 20 agonizing minutes…" Seto replied as he shivered. I just noticed his skin looked paler and clammier. I probably looked a lot worse. "I…took my…shoes…c-c-coat and…d-dueldisk off and…d-dove in…after you…Th-the…loser squad…tried to prevent…me…fr-from jumping in…but I…p-pushed…them out of the w-way…and…j-jumped in… I...almost…dr-drowned swimming…after you… and f-freeing…you…and surfacing…" Seto told me as he shivered. Wow…he risked his life to save me. "I did CPR…t-trying…to bring…y-you back…I…w-was…so scared…I l-lost…you…" Seto continued.

"We'd be crushed if we lost you…" Mokuba told me. I shakily hugged them tighter so touched they loved me so much.

It didn't take long for Seto's pilot to land on the roof of the mansion and the staff helped us inside to our rooms. They looked horrified seeing our condition. In our room, Seto shut the door and removed his clothes and then mine so we were both naked. He put our wet clothes in the bathtub and gave me a towel to dry off the remaining water while he dried himself off with his own towel. I rubbed the towel against my body and then we put our robes on just as the servants knocked on our door and brought us some hot soup. Seto took the tray, shut the door, and set the tray on the bed. We gingerly picked up our soup bowls and slowly ate the soup and felt warm on the inside. When we finished our soup, Seto put the bowls back on the tray and left it next to the doorjamb on the floor. We crawled into bed and he held me tight under the covers. I noticed his hold seemed a bit possessive.

"Possessive much?" I asked.

"You better believe it. We almost drowned today…and I almost lost you a second time," Seto retorted.

"You knew…I'd return," I replied.

"I know, but the pain and fear of losing you is all too real and it hurts," Seto answered as he rubbed my arm. I burrowed closer to him sharing body heat through our robes and the covers. "You have no idea how much it would destroy us if we lost you. What would we do without you?" Seto asked as he caressed my face.

"You tell me," I answered.

"We'd wish we were dead too. Life wouldn't be the same without you in it. It wouldn't really be worth living…You've left an indelible imprint on our hearts." This kind of talk was really disturbing, so I kissed him to silence him of this morbid talk. He kissed back wholeheartedly. When we parted, I pushed a piece of his hair from his face.

"Promise me… you will not do anything reckless," I whispered.

"I…promise…" Seto agreed reluctantly. I kissed him again.

"You're stuck with me like a bad penny," I told him with a smile.

"You're never a bad penny," Seto assured me. I smiled a bit more; he was so sweet. A few peacefully quiet moments passed as we merely stared into each other's eyes.

"St. Peter told me the most interesting thing," I told him and broke the awkward silence as I gently fingered the lapel of his robe.

"Oh really? What'd he say?" Seto asked thoroughly curious.

"He told me he didn't want to see me until I was called up there and he wanted me to get back to work with you. He looked at my stomach and smiled as he told me that he was glad we'd already gotten started," I explained.

"What does that mean?" Seto asked. Thankfully I wasn't the only confused one around here.

"I don't know, but I suppose it's really good. He also told me that I was granted my premonition power because I'm an Earth Guardian. All Earth Guardians have premonitions like I do…and my visions were meant to change if I acted to do anything to change the outcome of what I saw, but they come true because there's a demon hanging on you interfering with the power and making my visions come true; it doesn't want to see you happy. My mission on Earth is to be with you and Mokuba, bring you to the light, and make you happy and fulfilled until they call me up," I babbled as I did my best to explain this to him.

"I already knew you were an angel," Seto replied with a smile.

"Oh really?"

"Who else would be willing to sacrifice themselves for us or drop everything and help us and also change us?" Seto retorted.

"True," I concurred.

"You know, I never believed in angels or the mystical crap, but now I'm beginning to, and I'm not sure what I did to warrant getting an angel in person to be with me," Seto told me. That was an odd thing to say.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Mokuba told you of our past. NOTHING went right from the time our parents died and our relatives left us with nothing at the orphanage and we were adopted by that asshole Gozaboro Kaiba, who ingrained in me to be a cold workaholic who didn't care about anything except the success of the company and Mokuba. I was so jealous of everyone else who had freedoms to do anything they wanted and Mokuba and I couldn't. So, tell me, how did I get an angel with my track record?" Seto asked glumly.

"Everyone deserves an angel, ESPECIALLY when going through hard times. They remind that person suffering that they are loved and with a little faith, things will turn out alright. You know, God does his finest work in people's hardest times" I explained. Seto smiled and kissed me again.

"You and Mokuba make me happy," he whispered.

"I should hope so," I teased and he chuckled a little. He held me closer to his body. I curled up closer and yawned.

"Let's get some sleep," Seto suggested.

"I couldn't agree more," I answered and listened to his heartbeat and felt him stroking my hair until we both fell asleep happily.

~Seto' POV~

3 weeks later…

It had been a hectic 3 weeks. Misty had been leaving with Mokuba and me each morning so Edward could take her to physical therapy after he'd dropped us at school, and then when I was done with class, he took us to Kaiba Corp. God it was nice for her to be back here! Of course, I didn't let her work yet, but I was happy to have her back in the office with me. I made sure she practiced dueling everyday to keep herself sharp for Battle City. I had absolutely no doubt she'd be unstoppable.

She wrote in her journal each day to mark her progress and did her exercises, some of which included painting and me making love to her every night and during our morning shower; both of us enjoyed those particular exercises the most and we made good use of the body paint and positions book she got me. This was incredible! She got me hooked on making love to her. To make things easier, I also had her things moved upstairs to my room. There was no point having her go get some clothes downstairs every morning and then bring them up to my, well our, bathroom. And she never spent much time in her room anyway after we started making love every night and morning.

I was so proud she was so much stronger and she no longer had to wear her robotic aid anymore. Of course, she still had to use a cane to help support herself, but she was almost completely healed. Mokuba, the staff at the mansion and Cynthia, her girlfriends, the doctor, Mr. Howell, and I were completely impressed with her progress. She was interviewed and that was published along with her journal about her experience with the robotic aid in a medical magazine.

Additionally, we had gone to court and given our testimonies for the night of the car accident. I hated having to relive that night I almost lost her… but it was absolutely necessary. I ensured my lawyers worked their asses off gathering the evidence and doing a HELL of a job ensuring our case was as solid as diamonds to get the biggest settlement possible for our damages. We had a mountain of evidence against the driver to show the damage he'd done. I wanted that asshole to pay like I promised Misty! The drunk driver was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and we were awarded 3,000,000 yen. I wish it would've been more.

Everything had been crazy, but it was going well for now.

Today, we were packing and doing last minute preparations for Battle City. While Misty was helping me, I noticed she had frozen up and her face was scarily blank… Oh my God! What the hell was happening?

"Misty?" I asked frantically, but she was unresponsive. I kept trying to get her attention and figure out what was going on. "MISTY!" I yelled and I shook her roughly frightened she wouldn't come out of her scary state. Thank God she snapped out of her trance, blinked and looked into my eyes.

"Oh thank God...You scared me…" I sighed with relief and hugged her tight. "What happened? You were helping me and then all of a sudden you froze up and had this scary blank look on your face. I tried snapping you out of it, but wasn't able to until just a moment ago," I explained. She hugged me tightly, obviously very scared and upset. Oh no… this was bad… really bad… I hugged her tightly, nervous about what went on with her.

"I had a premonition…" she replied gloomily. Oh no… that could only mean one thing… I just might lose her again… but how? I held her back tighter.

"What'd…you see?" I asked nervously. I had to know so I could do my best to protect her.

"I felt a sinister pair of eyes watching my every move, heard sinister laughter to match the eyes, and ran into a man named Marik Ishtar. He was wearing a purple cloak and had this gold eye rod in his hand. He used the rod to give me an agonizing headache that separated my soul from my body and chained it to a rock in a crucifixion pose. My possessed body dueled you. You were losing, and then I found myself on the edge of the cliff where we'd been dueling, my LP was blown away, I collapsed, and then I fell off the cliff towards some rocky water…" she recanted and squeezed me tighter obviously upset. I was upset myself that this was going to happen. So she was going to be captured and possessed, and then I was going to have to duel her, and she was going to fall off a cliff. Why? Why must this happen?

"Oh Misty…" I said and my arms tightened around her.

"ACK! Can't breathe!" she gasped and started to flail. I sheepishly loosened my hold a little.

"Sorry…but I just can't handle the thought of that happening to you…" I replied.

"I'm a little scared…" she admitted and buried her face into my chest, a few tears falling and staining my shirt…not that I really cared if they did. "I'm going to be possessed, dueling against you, and falling off the edge of a cliff…" Wow we really were in sync with each other following the same train of thought.

"Mokuba and I will do everything in our power to protect you," I promised and kissed her forehead. "Nobody's going to take you from me without a fight!" I declared. "I want you to stay close to me and Mokuba during Battle City. We'll protect you," I promised and kissed her lips gently. I held her close for a few minutes until she felt better. I needed to come up with extra security measures for her a bit later.

"Let's finish getting packed and ready," Misty suggested and we resumed our previous duties silently. This was so awkward with such silence. I could still sense her anxiety.

At dinner, Mokuba and Cynthia noticed how she was a bit distant and slightly gloomy and I was deeply concerned for her. God… what could I do to help her?

"Misty? What's wrong? You're not yourself tonight," Mokuba pointed out.

"I had a premonition…" she explained. Mokuba gasped as he realized the meaning. He was pretty sharp to understand it as fast as I did that it was a very bad thing and that it was likely we could lose her again.

"Oh Misty…we'll protect you! Don't worry about a thing!" Mokuba promised. She gave a tight smile in response like she wanted to believe him.

"Thanks Mokuba…" she replied. We ate our dinner and continued to get ready in silence. This silence was so oppressive; I wanted to break it by talking to her, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk. At bedtime, I held her close to my body and stroked her hair and her back hoping it would help soothe her.

"Talk to me please, your silence is driving me crazy," I whispered. It was so unsettling how she was glumly silent.

"What about?" She asked.

"Anything…" I replied. "I just hate seeing you so gloomy…" ANY topic, including girly stuff, was better than this heavy silence.

"I hate feeling like it too, but I know it'll happen…I'm just worried…" she explained.

"Don't…you'll only make me worry about you and everything else," I told her. I didn't need her to make my worry worse…it was bad enough.

"Well, distract me then…" she commanded. I was only too happy to oblige. I kissed her deeply caressing her face hoping that was helping.

"Better?"

"A little," Misty admitted. What? All that for just "a little?"

"Only a little?"

"Yes, a little," Misty retorted. "Just so you know, I'm not in the mood tonight…" What? Wow… where did that come from? Oh… right… our usual sessions… well, her being freaked out like this, I hadn't even thought about it.

"I didn't think you were…I wasn't even going to push it," I told her. I only wanted her to talk to me and just hold her and kiss her.

"Oh…" she said sheepishly.

"Let's talk about something else…" I suggested. "We could talk about wedding details if you want." Misty's lip pursed. Okay… maybe not…

"I'm not really in the mood to talk about wedding details right now," she replied.

"Okay…just an idea…" I retorted defensively. I had to admit I was surprised that she didn't want to talk about wedding details. Isn't that what engaged girls only talked about?

"_Usually, but you have to think about what she's going through… she just saw that horrible premonition… would you seriously want to talk about wedding details after seeing what she did? You should be planning how to protect her," my inner self admonished._

"_I WILL, BUT I WANTED TO GET HER MIND OFF THE SUBJECT!" I snarled. _

"_I know, but it's not so easy to chase that fear away," my inner self argued. I growled at him. _

"_JUST SHUT UP!" I commanded and put the proverbial duct tape on his mouth and searched for a subject to talk about to help relax her. _

"Well, if it helps…think about how you're going to obliterate whoever challenges you tomorrow, particularly Wheeler," I told her. Misty smirked a little. There we go. Much better.

"There we go, a partial smile," I observed. Misty smiled a little wider involuntarily. "That's much better."

"Hopefully I meet him soon tomorrow so I can knock his obnoxious ass down," she remarked making me chuckle.

"I hope so too," I concurred and kissed her again. She smiled into the kiss. Ah yes! So much better! Nothing like plotting to bring down Wheeler to bring a smile to her face.

"And even if you don't see him tomorrow you can still destroy him in the finals," I added.

"True," she agreed. "Hey, if I do end up having to duel you, aside from the likely duel I told you about from my premonition, do you want it easy or do you want it fun?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Dueling aside from the one from her premonition?

"_You know what that means, idiot. She knows she'll duel you for sure because of her premonition, but she's talking about facing you aside from that one. Do you want it fun or easy?"_

"_What does she consider easy or fun in that situation?" I retorted irritably. _

"Do you want an easy victory, or a fun one? Easy would be instant surrender, fun would be actually dueling me for a while and actually winning," Misty explained. Oh I see.

"I want a fun one. But what makes you sure I'm going to win that duel?" I asked. I did have to admit she was tough to beat even for me. I should know, I taught her and made her practice until she could… and now she couldn't stop.

"Oh my God…Big Bad Seto Kaiba is doubting his dueling skills!" Misty teased. I gave her a mock scowl. "I know you'll win because I have faith in you, and also, I could get tired and let you win," she winked. I smirked. She was so sweet to have faith in me to still win… and she would give it to me just like that. I love this woman!

"You're so sweet," I remarked and kissed her again and hugged her.

"It's because I love you and I know you want that crowning glory. Me, I'd rather you have it; I don't need it. I'll be your Queen of Games by default." I smiled wider and hugged her closer. Could she be any more fantastic?

"I love you," I whispered.

"Te amo tambien," Misty whispered back. I shuddered in pleasure.

"Let's get some sleep my love. We have a big day ahead," I suggested after a few minutes. Sleep was good right now; it would help us recharge so we could be better prepared for the impending threat and it would help us relax.

"Alright," Misty agreed and nuzzled up against me and fell asleep on my chest. I fell asleep holding her.

Later, I woke up to her thrashing violently and screaming as if she were in pain.

"Misty?" I asked and tried to touch her but she punched me in the face and was trying to protect her belly like it was the rarest treasure in the world. She clenched her jaw and tears were streaming down her face as if she were trying to endure the pain.

"STOP IT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" She screamed and thrashed curled over still trying to protect her stomach. I tried shaking her to wake her up.

"MISTY!"I called to her frantically as I shook her_. _She gasped as she woke up and stared into my eyes. I saw pure fear and alarm in her eyes and I wondered what she saw.

"Misty? What happened? You were screaming and thrashing violently, and you punched me as you were trying to protect your belly," I told her worriedly. I was surprised when she latched onto me and started crying.

"T-t-torture…" she explained between her broken sobs. Oh no… that's awful… she had nightmares about being tortured…

"Oh Misty…" I said as I held her tightly and rubbed her back and stroked her hair in an attempt to soothe her. She was breathing heavily as she finally calmed down. I wasn't going to let anything hurt her, especially with her in my arms. There was a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" I asked. The door slowly opened.

"Is everything alright Seto? I heard screaming," Mokuba asked. Misty looked his way and he saw her face and her desperate clinging to me. "Misty? What happened? Did you have another premonition?" Wow he was sharp to deduce that already. She nodded and he came closer and joined in on the hug.

"What was it?" Mokuba asked.

"Torture…" Misty answered still shaken up. Poor girl… she probably hated saying it over again.

"Oh Misty," Mokuba remarked as he tried to assist me in soothing her. It was a good 20 minutes before she was calm and relaxed to our satisfaction.

"I'm going back to bed…I hope you have good dreams Misty," Mokuba told her with a hug and then went back to his room. I kissed her again and held her tight against my body as we drifted off back to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, please," I whispered before we fell to sleep again.

Luckily, she didn't move or scream again that night so I could only assume she had good dreams. The next morning, we got ready for the Tournament Kickoff. I was going to make the announcement tonight about the tournament and the rules, and then tomorrow the tournament was going to begin. I took Mokuba and her to the office to ensure we had everything wrapped up and ready for tomorrow. For once in the last 6 or more weeks, I let her work because I really needed the help and I felt she was strong enough to work. It felt great to have her working with me again. It was such a relief she could take some of the weight of the world off my shoulders again. Oh how I missed her. After work, we had a quick dinner and went home to get changed and ready. Misty wore a nice green sundress with a tie-sash, while I wore a long, sleeveless, studded, white cloak; a black long sleeve shirt with buckles on my biceps and silver cuffs; black leather pants and black boots with buckles on the calves. Mokuba wore jeans, sneakers, and a blue striped shirt with a yellow vest. We went back to Kaiba Corp. and got in the helicopter at about 8 p.m. and then we hovered over the area that would be closed off for the tournament. I lowered the rope ladder, climbed down halfway, and then explained the rules: 1) Nobody can refuse a challenge or they have to automatically give up their rarest card and locator cards 2) There will be 6 locator cards and each person has 1 of 6 locator cards to start. Each person must collect all 6 in order to advance to the semi-finals 3) the dueldisk created by Kaiba Corp. would be used to duel people 4) each duelist was expected to duel with integrity and cheating will not be tolerated. I wanted my tournament to be perfect and I was dead serious about people following the rules.

"If I, my brother Mokuba, my fiancée Misty, or any of my staff discover anybody is cheating, that person will be publicly ousted and disqualified from the tournament." I heard a collective gasp from down below. Crap… there goes the attention of everyone.

"Fiancée? He's engaged?" I heard people muttering down below. Damnit! Stupid idiots! Pay attention to the fucking rules and not my relationship status!

"ONCE AGAIN, IF WE CATCH YOU CHEATING, YOU WILL BE PUBLICLY OUSTED AND DISQUALIFIED!" I called to the crowd louder hoping to return their attention to the rules again though it was unlikely.

"_Smooth, Seto," my inner self said sarcastically. _Thankfully, they listened better the second time, but I was still annoyed at their lapse in attention I climbed back up and Misty and Mokuba helped me back into the helicopter. We landed back at Kaiba Corp. and took the limo home.

"Thank you for your help today Misty," I told her with a kiss. Ah yes… something better to divert my anger away.

"You're welcome. It felt good to be back to work with you," she replied. I smiled at her enthusiasm to be back to work with me.

"I'm excited about tomorrow!" Mokuba gushed.

"Yeah, I kinda am too," Misty chimed in with her enthusiasm fading.

"Kinda?"

"Remember? My premonition is likely to happen tomorrow…" she reminded him. Oh great… that reminder… I almost forgot about that… and there goes the excitement…

"Oh…right…" Mokuba replied sheepishly and his bubble of enthusiasm seemed to sink heavily like lead. Misty looked guilty.

"We'll protect you," I declared. "Stay as close as you can to me and Mokuba, and I'll give you a GPS chip so I can keep track of your whereabouts if we get separated somehow," I assured her. I could find a spare GPS chip and attach it to one of her necklaces or something so I could easily find her. Misty smiled a little at my reassurance. That's better.

"Just think of us as your personal bodyguards," Mokuba chimed in, his focus obviously on the mission of protecting her. She smiled wider and hugged Mokuba.

"You're so precious," Misty complimented him. He beamed happily at her praise. They were cute like that.

"Well we should probably get some rest for tomorrow," I interjected.

"Right," Mokuba and Misty agreed.

"Good night Misty, Good night Seto," Mokuba bade and hugged us before going to his room. I wrapped my arm around her waist, and kissed the top of her head knowing she was still scared and tense and I had an idea to help her relax and distract her.

"Want some…exercise…to help you relax?" I whispered in her ear with a smirk.

"If you think it'll help…" she answered. Was she kidding? Of COURSE it would help both of us.

"Oh it'll help distract you," I assured her. "Maybe it'll help you have good sleep too." I didn't think I could handle her screaming and thrashing like she did last night, so I hoped making love tonight would put her at ease so she'd have normal dreams.

"Only one way to find out," she smirked. There we go! Jackpot! I smirked back, swept her off her feet and carried her to our room, locked the door, and carried her to the bed. Ah yes! I couldn't wait!

We kissed passionately and made love at least 3 times before we fell asleep happily. Fantastic! It worked! She and I slept well! We had another round in the shower, as usual, and I was feeling triumphant I had made her feel so relaxed. I dressed into My outfit I wore last night and while she went downstairs to eat breakfast in her happy mood, I went to my office and found a tiny GPS chip and went into her jewelry box and found a necklace, attached the GPS chip to the pendant and activated it and programmed it into my phone, which I put into my coat.

I joined them and we ate breakfast together. Afterwards, I handed her the necklace.

"Wear this. It has a GPS chip on it," I commanded. She smiled a little and lifted her hair so I could put it on. Then we got into the limo and it dropped us off at Kaiba Corp. and the games had begun. Mokuba and I stayed far enough back from her to let her duel, but we stayed close enough to come to her aid when necessary, about 50 yards. We made sure to keep her in our line of sights. We wanted her to participate without us intimidating the competition away. Naturally, since she had a cane, she was quickly descended upon like flies to a corpse.

Admittedly, we had to keep walking and enforcing rules, and we had to eject and humiliate a cheater. With that, we got separated from her, but I trusted the surveillance and the GPS chip to help me keep track of her. We were only gone for a few minutes. She came around the corner hobbling looking around for us and she looked relieved when she saw us.

"There you are Misty," Mokuba remarked.

"Why did y'all leave me?" Misty demanded irritably. Uh-oh… we were in trouble… "I was a bit nervous when y'all weren't within sight distance anymore." Crap…

"We're sorry Misty, we had to stop a cheater," I apologized and hugged her hoping to earn her forgiveness. I hoped she'd understand I had to enforce rules too…

"Don't leave me like that again! It could've happened!" she snarled. I know I felt sheepish for disappearing on her especially since she had her premonitions and she was scared and we had promised her we'd protect her and stay by her side.

"We're sorry. We'll stay by your side at all times," Mokuba promised and joined in on the hug. I could feel her relief wash over her it was that strong.

"So did you have any duels already?" I asked. Of course, though I was curious how many she'd had already.

"Yes, I did. I had at least 10-15. I lost count. I have all 6 locator cards." Misty replied. Mokuba and I smiled, proud of her fast success. I knew she was great, but it still astounded me she'd had 10-15 duels already.

"That was fast, and great," I complimented her and kissed her. "I'm proud of you. I knew you'd be fantastic."

"That's awesome Misty!" Mokuba exclaimed eagerly. She smiled proudly and reveled in the moment with us before we started walking around together enforcing rules. She watched us duel and helped humiliate and eject the cheaters. I had gotten word that punk Yugi had disappeared off the map and nobody could find him. I needed something from the office to help locate him. Somebody somehow must've found a way around the dueldisk's GPS system and it was pissing me off. He wasn't going to get out of dueling me that easily. I needed more advanced technology to help me find him, so I asked Mokuba and Misty to run an errand for me to get a device that would disable any cloaking devices so we could find him. I ran into the loser squad asking for my help finding Yugi, and I agreed because of the plans I had for him, so we separated to look for him.

I was wondering where Misty and Mokuba were; they were taking a long while. Something was wrong; I could feel the hair at the nape of my neck stand up and my muscles tensed. Where were they?

I got word that Yugi's location was revealed and we met up. He went on some nonsense about how these cloaked rare hunters were working for Marik and that he just escaped being sent to the Shadow Realm.

"Oh please," I replied rolling my eyes, but I felt another prickle as I could hear Misty's words echo in my head again about the premonition.

"Kaiba, you have to believe me. Marik is putting everyone in danger with his shadow games," Yugi pleaded like the wuss he was.

"Enough Yugi. I don't need this," I grumbled, but the prickle intensified for some reason and I was secretly worried and scared about Misty and Mokuba.

Later, Yugi and I had run into a couple of guys in the cloaks and half masks, one tall, and one short and fat, Loomis and Umbra. We went up to the roof of one of the buildings and they challenged us to a double duel.

"Why should we duel you?" I asked.

"That's why," Loomis the short one said with a smirk as he pointed past us and I heard a whir of a helicopter. I looked and my heart sank; Mokuba and Misty were dangling from the skids of the helicopter.

"Seto! Help us!" Mokuba and Misty both pleaded their eyes both wide with fear. "Help Us Seto!" they begged over and over. I stared at them a moment, my heart stopped a moment and then turned my rage towards Loomis and Umbra. The helicopter lifted and Mokuba and Misty both tried to keep begging me to help them until they were carried out of sight.

"RELEASE MY BROTHER AND MY FIANCEE!" I commanded them.

"If you win we will release them, but if you lose you shall be lost to the Shadow Realm, with them," Umbra told me.

"Fine! We'll duel you, and I'll make sure you're sorry you ever messed with my brother and fiancée!" I snarled.

"AND MY FRIENDS!" Yugi chimed in. Loomis and Umbra laughed at us and readied to duel. They were cocky, but I was determined not to lose. They had never messed with the likes of me before, especially when I was furious.

The battle didn't take very long, but in the end Yugi and I won, of course, even after some sloppy dueling by him and Loomis and Umbra turning on each other. We saw a purple vortex open underneath them and they screamed and begged for mercy from Marik before being sucked in and ending up empty shells.

"Thank you for your assistance Kaiba," Yugi told me.

"I only did it for the sake of my brother and Misty. I won't tolerate them messing with my family," I retorted.

"I know. Were you serious about when you called Misty your fiancée? I had been meaning to ask," Yugi replied.

"Yes she's my fiancée!" I growled irritably.

"Calm down Kaiba…" Yugi said.

"No! I am angry they had the nerve to mess with them, and we're wasting time trying to rescue them, now move! I have to find out where they are!" With that, one of my helicopters flew overhead to come get me. I had activated the GPS chip I had put on Misty's necklace and saw they were in a warehouse. I had the helicopter land a few blocks away, and I saw Mokuba running towards me.

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed as he ran towards me and hugged me. I hugged him tight relieved to see him. I released him after a moment.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" I told him but then noticed Misty wasn't here. "Where's Misty?"

"The rare hunters have her at the warehouse and they also have Tea and Joey too!" Unsurprising they got that dweeb Tea and that mutt Wheeler. "They helped me escape and I was trying to pull Misty up but she made me let go when the rare hunters came and told me to run and find you," Mokuba explained. I was touched by Misty's selfless gesture to at least let him escape at the risk of her own sake. Just then, the GPS signal went dead.

"Mokuba, you have to take me to the warehouse," I ordered. Mokuba nodded and led the way, but on the way there, I saw Yugi had gotten himself in trouble yet again and was dueling another one of Marik's minions, an ugly, pierced, mime who was using Slime Tokens and a plasma monster against Yugi's monster, and Yugi was having a hard time. The mime had also summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon. I had to admit I was entranced to watch this duel so I'd know who to duel next for Slifer. I was the one who was going to get all 3 Egyptian god cards, not Yugi.

It seemed hopeless for Yugi, but of course he managed not to screw up and won Slifer and found out that a couple friends, likely Wheeler and Tea, were waiting for him at the docks. That could wait. I wanted Slifer now!

"Yugi, I challenge you to a duel right now for Slifer!" I challenged him.

"Not now Kaiba, my friends are in danger," Yugi replied. Well, that was easy.

"You cannot refuse a challenge. Now hand over Slifer and your locator cards!" I demanded.

"I'm not refusing your challenge Kaiba. I will duel you later. Right now my friends need me," Yugi replied and ran off. I was angry.

"Seto, what about Misty? Maybe she's there with Joey and Tea?" Mokuba suggested. Oh crap, I forgot about Misty! Shame on me… I felt so bad I forgot about her for the moment.

"Right, let's go see, if she is. Those bastards better not be doing anything to her body! I will destroy them if they harm her!" I vowed.

"I know Seto, but come on, let's hurry!" Mokuba retorted and almost had to drag me away.

We got to the docks and saw the rare hunters had tied a blank-eyed Tea to a chair under a crane holding what looked like a huge dumpster over her head and put her arms in the restraints. A blank-eyed, zombie-like Wheeler challenged Yugi to a deadly duel. If either one of them lost or neither failed to win within an hour, the loser or both would be dragged to the bottom of the ocean with a contraption worn at the ankles.

"And don't even think about trying anything, Seto Kaiba," Marik commanded through Tea's body. "If you do anything, both of them and Misty will die." I didn't care if anything happened to the loser squad, but he had me with Misty. I had to stay out of this or Misty would die. Fine, let them have their stupid duel.

We watched and I had to admit Wheeler regaining control of his body every so often was impressive. Marik was having a hard time keeping him controlled. Hopefully Misty would be able to escape. If that mutt Wheeler could do it, it should be a cinch for her. In time, Wheeler had regained full-control of his body, but not in enough time because they had both been pulled underwater. Pity. Wheeler's pathetic sister, Serenity, ripped her eye bandages off and dove in after them. The three of them came out of the water and were released from Marik's spell along with Tea. Woohoo…whatever… Now, where was Misty? I felt familiar hand grab mine and I turned around horrorstruck when I saw her body. She looked zombie-like, just as Wheeler and Tea had, and she seemed to look even scarier than they had. Oh no…

"Misty…" I said horrorstruck and let go of her hand. Marik cackled evilly through her voice, sending chills up my spine.

"What's the matter baby?" Marik mocked. I was furious! My jaw clenched and my fists balled up tightly and my eyes glared icy daggers at her body. HOW DARE HE POSSESS HER BODY AND MOCK ME THE WAY HE DID?

"MARIK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MISTY?" I snarled. For all I know he could have tortured her before bringing her body here as a damn proxy. I swear I was going to destroy him. Marik laughed.

"Hello Kaiba. Welcome to your nightmare come to life!" Marik retorted.

"LET HER GO!" I commanded. Marik cackled. God that was such a horrifying sound…

"No. You have to win her back," Marik retorted and her body started walking and then paused. "You want her back? Well you'll have to duel for her. This way," Marik added and continued walking. Where the hell did he think he was going? I wanted to duel him here and now, especially if it meant preventing her from going to the cliff.

"No! Let's duel right here right now!" I demanded and got my dueldisk ready. Marik ignored me and her body kept walking. DID HE JUST DARE WALK AWAY FROM A CHALLENGE? "I SAID LET'S DUEL NOW! IT'S AGAINST THE RULES TO DECLINE OR IGNORE A CHALLENGE!" I snarled. Misty's body turned slowly and eerily towards us.

"If I recall I challenged YOU first and I gave specific instructions for YOU to follow ME. Now you follow me or I will kill her right here, right now," Marik threatened and pulled a knife from one of her pockets and held the blade against her neck. Oh shit…my eyes widened at her holding the knife against her neck. I had no choice… I couldn't risk her life like this… Shit…"What's it going to be Kaiba? Do you want her to die right now because you're so damn impatient, or are you willing to take on my challenge, follow me, and have the chance to save her?" I hesitated a moment. I hated this.

"Lead the way…" I said reluctantly.

"That's what I thought," Marik snapped and put the knife back in her pocket and her body continued to walk. We stopped at the edge of a cliff…no, THE cliff from her premonition! I had to stop her from falling over the edge! She stepped back near the edge and threw her cane out of the way. Oh no… And how was she supporting herself without the cane? Was it some kind of evil magic holding her steady? I'd never seen her stand on her own just yet.

"Remember, one false move and she falls. Let's start," Marik told me and readied her dueldisk. I readied my dueldisk and the duel was on. Shit… I was going to have to duel my ass off if I had a chance at saving her.

Naturally since Misty was so good at dueling against me in practice, I was having a hard time winning against her and I was getting scared. I taught her too well… Crap! She was going to die and it was my fault!

I started panicking more and more as the duel went on. I was dueling pretty hard, but Marik in her body was kicking my ass hard. I could feel the figurative knife in my heart twisting more and more knowing she was getting closer and closer to death. I was down to my last 500 LP while Marik/"Misty" had 2500 LP left. I felt completely and utterly hopeless.

"DON'T GIVE UP SETO! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP!" Misty commanded sharply with her real voice, the voice I had fallen in love with. She was forcing her way through just like Wheeler had!

"M-Misty?" I asked surprised and relieved to hear her voice. I hoped she was doing what Wheeler did and this wasn't just a figment of my imagination.

"STAY STRONG! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS! AND IF YOU FAIL, SO HELP ME I WILL HAUNT YOU FOR ETERNITY!" Misty scolded me sharply. That was definitely the Misty I knew and loved- unafraid to confront me like that. I felt my confidence rise a little, but I still had a lot to do to turn the tide in my favor. Unfortunately I didn't have really any moves at the moment. I only hoped I could draw just the card I needed like I normally did when I was in a pinch like this.

"Little bitch! She will pay big time when this is over!" Marik swore. "Back to the duel! Say Good-bye!" Marik commanded and cackled evilly as he prepared to attack me one last time. My eyes were wide with alarm as I knew this was it. "Any last words for your beloved Misty?" Marik retorted demonically and cackled.

"Misty… I'm sorry… I…f-failed…I love you…" I said quietly.

"SETOOOOOO!" Misty screamed using her real, natural voice. Just then, my deck glowed a moment. Whoa… what was that? A miracle? Oh God I hoped so… I hoped this was exactly the card I needed.

"SETO! PLAY IT!" Mokuba commanded frantically. I drew a card and smirked, made some sacrifices and played Obelisk the Tormentor! God I was so glad I had the monsters to sacrifice to bring him out. I could feel my heart surge with confidence as I knew I could definitely win against Marik now.

"MEET OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" I yelled triumphantly and I felt a breeze pick up around the field. I felt as confident as I normally felt when facing off typical weak opponents, like Wheeler. I was so happy I had a chance to save her and prevent her premonition from happening.

"Impossible!" Marik remarked knowing he couldn't do anything else with her cards after that. Oh thank God…

"She's never gone against THIS card before. YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR TAKING HER AND MY BROTHER AND MESSING WITH MY TOURNAMENT!" I crowed. Pretty soon, I had regained control of the battle and was working on obliterating Marik's/"Misty's" LP. It didn't' take very long to do. I noticed she had kept her head bowed as I had just blown away the last of "her" LP. I heard Mokuba and the loser squad cheer loudly for my victory. That was too freaking close! I almost lost her!

"WAY TO GO BRO! YOU SAVED HER!" Mokuba exclaimed happily. I felt proud and relieved I was able to beat her and save her.

"I won! Now release Misty like you promised!" I commanded with a bit of a triumphant snarl. Misty looked up at me with a smile that made my heart soar. She was back! I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms.

"MISTY!" Mokuba and I exclaimed. She was so excited, she tried walking over to us, but she collapsed on the rock and hissed in pain. Oh no… was she okay? She took her dueldisk off to examine her scrapes and get up easier.

"Where's…my cane?" she asked as she tried to push herself up.

"Misty!" Mokuba and I exclaimed with deep concern as we tried to come closer to her on the ledge to help her up. We had to approach her cautiously; the ledge was unstable. I don't know how Marik managed a whole duel using her body on such a dangerous and unstable ledge… she pushed herself to her feet, but she was still shaky.

"Hang on Misty! We'll come to you and get you!" Mokuba told me. We slowly came closer.

"This ledge is finicky!" she warned us. She took a shaky step forward not used to the pressure and weight without the cane to help. We had to hurry, carefully. Mokuba moved her dueldisk away and he and I moved closer.

"Can we hurry dis reunion up? I'm getting' old watching dis!" Wheeler whined.

"SHUT UP YOU DOG!" Misty, Mokuba, and I shot back. We didn't need to hear his obnoxious whining while we were trying to deal with this delicate situation! She took another cautious and shaky step and her foot slipped on a rock and she lost her balance over the side. She tried to right herself, but she was hanging on the edge of the cliff by her fingers. NOOOO! We hurried closer to the edge to try to grab her hand.

"MISTY!" Mokuba, the rest of the loser squad, and I yelled. My eyes widened in horror. I could tell she was scared and her fingers were white trying to hold on, but her fingers were slipping.

"HELP!" she screamed. Mokuba and I were at the edge and reached to pull her up but her fingers had slipped and she fell. Our hearts lurched as we watched her open her mouth like she wanted to scream, but no sound emerged… Misty was falling backward and time felt like it slowed down.

"MISTY!" Mokuba and I screamed in horror. Misty then hit the water and had barely missed the rocks and didn't come up. I wanted to cry from the serious stabbing pain in my heart knowing I had failed to stop her from falling, and without thinking, I took my coat, boots, and dueldisk off and was ready to dive in.

"NO KAIBA! DON'T!" Yugi yelled.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY YUGI OR SO HELP ME I WILL KILL YOU!"I snarled viciously.

"SHE BARELY MISSED THE ROCKS! What will happen to Mokuba if you die trying to save her?" Yugi asked. I ignored him.

"Don't do anything stupid Kaiba!" Tristan told me. I ignored him too.

"MOKUBA! GET THE HELICOPTER OVER HERE NOW!" I commanded and pushed Yugi and the rest of the losers out of the way roughly and was furious they had cost me precious seconds that could mean her death. I dove in after her and the fall was scary and I had barely missed the rocks myself. The water was cold and sharp and felt like it was stabbing me all over, but I had to ignore the pain and get her out.

"Please God, help give me the breath and strength I need to save her!" I prayed silently as I swam towards her. I noticed she had gotten her foot stuck in a crevice and she tried to free her foot but she couldn't. I was starting to get a little lightheaded, but I was determined to save her!

"God give me enough breath to get her out of here!" I begged silently as I got her foot free and held her unconscious body in my arms and swam to the surface semi-blindly. It felt like it took forever and my head was hurting worse and worse, but I finally broke free to the surface and gasped as I took a breath. Air was never better than it was right now.

I heard the helicopter hovering and they released a rescue basket; there was no way in hell I would be able to climb the rope ladder with her dead weight and me just getting my breath back. I put her in the basket and climbed in with her and pulled the cord. Roland was hoisting us up and I ignored the loser squad as I looked at her pale blue, unconscious body and caressed her cold, clammy cheek and felt my heart give a sharp jolt in pain. I hoped I wasn't too late.

"Misty! Please don't die on us! Don't leave us!" I begged to her.

Mokuba helped bring the basket in and I immediately climbed out and got her out and started frantically doing CPR on her to get her to breathe for me again. Oh God! Come on Misty!

"Come on Misty! Breathe damnit! Don't leave me!" I begged urgently with a hitch in my voice on the verge of breaking down completely as I compressed her chest and breathed into her mouth.

"Misty…please come back!" Mokuba begged while crying. I breathed into her again and I heard her coughing and saw her open her eyes. Oh thank God! She was alive! I hugged her tightly and then Mokuba joined us.

"Oh Misty! Thank God you're alive!" We exclaimed relieved.

"Ack! Can't…breathe… and just got…my breath back…" she told us. We loosened our arms just a little but still held her afraid to let her go for fear she might not come back if we did.

"We were…so…scared…you…wouldn't…come back!" Mokuba told her, his words punctuated by sniffles.

"Well…you…have me…for a long…time…" Misty replied weakly and coughed again. Her blue lips and body shivered with the cold and I called one of my associates to bring a blanket. I wrapped it around the three of us and rubbed my hands against her arms to create a warming friction. We needed to preserve our body heat big time.

"Take us home, quickly!" I commanded and my pilot assured me he would.

"You were out for so long!" Mokuba told her as he buried his head in her shoulder. It felt like an eternity she was out for.

"H-how…long…was…I out?" she asked.

"You were…out…for 20 agonizing minutes…" I replied as I let myself shiver. I was too focused on getting her out of the water and bringing her back to me to even feel cold "I…took my…shoes…c-c-coat and…d-dueldisk off and…d-dove in…after you…Th-the…loser squad…tried to prevent…me…fr-from jumping in…but I…p-pushed…them out of the w-way…and…j-jumped in… I...almost…dr-drowned swimming…after you… and f-freeing…you…and surfacing…" I told her as I shivered. "I did CPR…t-trying…to bring…y-you back…I…w-was…so scared…I l-lost…you…" I continued.

"We'd be crushed if we lost you…" Mokuba told her. She shakily hugged us tighter. It didn't take long for my pilot to land on the roof of the mansion and the staff helped us inside to our rooms. They looked horrified seeing our condition. Oh well, not that I cared what they thought. In our room, I shut the door and removed my clothes and then hers so we were both naked. I wanted to get the wet clothes off and get ourselves dried off and warm to offset the hypothermia. I put our wet clothes in the bathtub and gave her a towel to dry off the remaining water while I dried myself off with my own towel. That was better. We then we put our robes on just as the servants knocked on our door and brought us some hot soup so we can warm ourselves up from the inside too. I took the tray, shut the door, and set the tray on the bed. We gingerly picked up our soup bowls and slowly ate the soup and felt warm on the inside. Much, much better. When we finished our soup, I put the bowls back on the tray and left it next to the doorjamb on the floor so the servants could take it away later. Right now, I just wanted to crawl into bed with her and hold her tight as we warmed up under the covers. We crawled into bed and I held her tight against my body under the covers. I was feeling extremely possessive of her at the moment especially since I almost lost her again.

"Possessive much?" Misty asked. I knew she was teasing, but I wasn't in a joking mood.

"You better believe it. We almost drowned today…and I almost lost you a second time," I retorted.

"You knew…I'd return," she replied.

"I know, but the pain and fear of losing you is all too real and it hurts," I answered as I rubbed her arm. She burrowed closer to me sharing body heat through our robes and the covers. Even though she must've felt cold, she was actually quite warm. "You have no idea how much it would destroy us if we lost you. What would we do without you?" I asked as I caressed her face. I couldn't imagine not being able to live without her anymore.

"You tell me," she answered.

"We'd wish we were dead too. Life wouldn't be the same without you in it. It wouldn't really be worth living…You've left an indelible imprint on our hearts," I told her. In response, she kissed me. I kissed back wholeheartedly. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment right now. When we parted, she pushed a piece of my hair from my face.

"Promise me… you will not do anything reckless," she whispered.

"I…promise…" I agreed reluctantly. I honestly don't know what I'd do in that moment if I lost her, but if it satisfied her to make a promise I wouldn't do anything reckless, then so be it. She kissed me again, satisfied by my promise.

"You're stuck with me like a bad penny," She told me with a smile. I wish she'd stop putting herself down like that.

"You're never a bad penny," I assured her. In fact, she was worth more than any and all of the rarest treasures. She smiled a bit more. A few peacefully quiet moments passed as we merely stared into each other's eyes. She had such beautiful, fiery chocolate eyes.

"St. Peter told me the most interesting thing," She told me and broke the awkward silence as she gently fingered the lapel of my robe.

"Oh really? What'd he say?" I asked thoroughly curious. What did he have to say about all this drama of her going and coming back, and her premonitions?

"He told me he didn't want to see me until I was called up there and he wanted me to get back to work with you. He looked at my stomach and smiled as he told me that he was glad we'd already gotten started," Misty explained.

"What does that mean?" I asked. What was St. Peter talking about? What kind of work was he glad we had started on that had to do with her stomach?

"_Don't tell me you can't figure it out," my inner self told me. I mentally shrugged. My inner self groaned. "You're an idiot…"_

"I don't know, but I suppose it's really good. He also told me that I was granted my premonition power because I'm an Earth Guardian. All Earth Guardians have premonitions like I do…and my visions were meant to change if I acted to do anything to change the outcome of what I saw, but they come true because there's a demon hanging on you interfering with the power and making my visions come true; it doesn't want to see you happy. My mission on Earth is to be with you and Mokuba, bring you to the light, and make you happy and fulfilled until they call me up," Misty babbled as she did her best to explain this to me. Oh… so that's why she had her power and why it kept coming true even though she tried. And she found out her mission was to make me and Mokuba happy and fulfilled and bring us to the light? Wow…

"I already knew you were an angel," I replied with a smile. I really did know that part already.

"Oh really?"

"Who else would be willing to sacrifice themselves for us or drop everything and help us and also change us?" I retorted.

"True," she concurred.

"You know, I never believed in angels or the mystical crap, but now I'm beginning to, and I'm not sure what I did to warrant getting an angel in person to be with me," I told her. I still had a hard time figuring it out.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"Mokuba told you of our past. NOTHING went right from the time our parents died and our relatives left us with nothing at the orphanage and we were adopted by that asshole Gozaboro Kaiba, who ingrained in me to be a cold workaholic who didn't care about anything except the success of the company and Mokuba. I was so jealous of everyone else who had freedoms to do anything they wanted and Mokuba and I couldn't. So, tell me, how did I get an angel with my track record?" I asked glumly as I recapped my whole dismal life.

"Everyone deserves an angel, ESPECIALLY when going through hard times. They remind that person suffering that they are loved and with a little faith, things will turn out alright. You know, God does his finest work in people's hardest times" I explained. I smiled and kissed her again. She really knew how to make me feel better.

"You and Mokuba make me happy," I whispered.

"I should hope so," Misty teased and I chuckled a little. I held her closer to my body. She curled up closer and yawned.

"Let's get some sleep," I suggested. We both had a hard, long day and sleep sounded really good right now.

"I couldn't agree more," she answered. She rested on my chest and I stroked her hair until a peaceful, happy sleep had consumed us.


	11. Sinister Semi-Finals

A/N: WARNING: This chapter contains graphic scenes of rape. Please skip over the marked sections if you do not wish to read those scenes.

~Back to My POV~

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read a graphic rape scene_

_I had another new nightmare/premonition. This time I was on a blimp and I could feel something hit my head and everything went black and I found myself naked, tied to each corner of the bedposts, and gagged. I looked around trying to figure out what was going on. I immediately saw Marik sitting on the bed and giving me an evil smirk and chuckle._

_"Hello again you little bitch," I screamed but no sound came from my throat. He chuckled harder as if this was the funniest thing in the world. I struggled against my bonds and he laughed harder. "I told you I was going to make you pay for your resistance," Marik said and ran his hands over my naked body, thus sending repulsive chills through my body. _

_"Mmm... so soft and squishy," Marik said and I freaked out more as he neared my vagina and jolted as he actually rubbed it. "Not so pure, but oh well at least he won't want you after I'm through with you," Marik remarked and then started licking and sucking my breasts. Tears poured from my eyes as I banged the walls trying to get someone's, particularly Seto's, attention. I screamed into my gag even though I knew it was futile. _

_"Like that?" Marik asked with a smirk as he saw me moving so much. He kissed down my torso to my vagina and actually started tasting me. I struggled harder with my bonds as I felt his tongue caress my sensitive folds. I heard him moaning like he was enjoying himself. It felt like forever when he finally stopped. _

_"So wet..." Marik remarked and then pulled his pants and underwear down and started stroking his penis, and when he was satisfied with how hard it was, he hovered over me ready to push in. I screamed into the gag louder and writhed so hard I made loud noises against the walls. _

_End of graphic rape scene_

_Thankfully, someone had heard and opened the door. I looked and saw Seto standing there looking beyond livid at what he was seeing. I stared at him wide-eyed begging for him to help. He snarled and in a flash he was at the bed and yanked Marik off and started beating the living shit out of him. When he finished, Marik was a bloody, unconscious mess on the floor. Seto softened his look when he saw me and then he looked sad and remorseful as he untied my bonds and removed my gag. I curled up into a ball to cover myself and started crying. He wrapped the blanket around me and wrapped his arms around me holding me close. I cried into his chest while he stroked my back. _

_"I'm sorry Misty. I'm so sorry..." he apologized and held me tighter. "I should have protected you better... and I'm so sorry for being so stupid..." he apologized. I merely cried into his chest until I calmed down. Seto picked me up in the blanket and carried me back to his room. _

"Misty!" Seto called frantically and I woke up and saw we were in our room wearing our disheveled robes, and Seto had some red marks on him and his sapphire eyes were wide with alarm. I held onto him tightly crying hard. Apparently me nearly dying today wasn't the worst part I was going to endure during Battle City. I knew I was going to be in the Shadow Realm being tortured, but I never would've imagined being nearly raped.

"Misty! What happened?! You were thrashing and screaming again," Seto asked worriedly as he held me and was stroking my back and my hair trying to get me to calm down.

"Premonition!" I choked out and Seto sighed heavily.

"What did you see?" Seto asked with lead in his voice.

"M-M-Marik...n-nearly... r-raped... me... but... you... s-stopped it..."

"Oh honey..." Seto said and held me tighter. "Don't worry. I won't let you sleep in your own room, and you will stay by mine or Mokuba's sides the whole time," Seto promised me. I was so scared.

"We...had... a...f-fight...I was alone... you got there... beat him... and then untied me... and you... a-apologized...profusely..." I added.

"Fight?" Seto asked surprised. "About what?"

"I...don't know..." I admitted. Seto sighed heavily and kissed me. I could tell he was profusely upset on the inside with what I'd said. He held me close for what seemed like hours and then we heard someone knock at the door.

"Mokuba?" Seto guessed. Mokuba opened the door.

"Seto? Misty? Was it another premonition?" Mokuba asked.

"Yes Mokuba," Seto answered for me and pat the bed inviting him to join us. I was glad we were wearing our robes at least. Mokuba came in and sat on the bed and hugged us both.

"What was this one about?" Mokuba asked me. I took some deep breaths trying to work up my courage to say this.

"M-M-Marik... n-nearly...r-r-raped me...but...Seto...s-saved me..." I stammered.

"Oh Misty..." Mokuba said with a gasp and hugged me tighter. We remained silent as we sat there in each other's arms until I felt somewhat better, but the issue weighed heavily on our minds. We fell asleep and I had my torture nightmare again and I know I was screaming and yelling and trying to protect my belly.

"Misty!" Mokuba and Seto shouted and both shook me awake and saw my panicked expression and I held them again upset and crying. "Misty! What happened?!" They demanded.

"Another one..." I stammered and they held me tighter.

"What was it this time?" Seto asked.

"Torture...again..." I choked out...

"Ah hell..." Seto said exasperated. I merely remained silent. I knew they were frustrated and upset too, but there wasn't much we could do. We fell asleep a little while later when they were satisfied I had calmed down enough.

I kept having nightmares and they seemed to grow irritable each time I had one. Well it wasn't like I planned to have these premonitory nightmares...

Morning came and we were so tired and exhausted from my premonitory nightmare plagued night we were a bit grouchy to each other and didn't say much as we got ready and ate. I felt kind of bad for ruining their night of sleep with those blasted nightmares, but at least they were taking it in stride.

We worked to ensure that the rest of the tournament went smoothly and Seto made the room arrangements on the blimp for everyone and plotted out the itinerary. As promised, I was rooming with Seto and Mokuba.

After we did all that, we went to separate rooms to try to nap before we had to go on the blimp. I had my nightmares again, but Seto and Mokuba weren't there to snap me out of them. I must've exhausted them worse than I thought. The nightmares left me shaken and a lot grouchier than I had been earlier. Seto and Mokuba, however, looked a little better than I did. Luckies...

"Misty? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"No, I'm not alright," I snapped harsher than I intended. Mokuba and Seto were both taken aback.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so snappish?" Seto demanded.

"Well let's recap... I had a hell of a night not being able to sleep because of my damn premonitory nightmares, nor could I nap without being plagued by said nightmares that are going to come true no matter what I do... So tell me, where in that do I have any peace?"

"Take it easy Misty..." Mokuba said awkwardly trying to dissuade me and calm me down.

"Sweetheart... please calm down..." Seto requested cautiously.

"Easy for you to say! You try having my nightmares when you fall asleep and knowing they're going to come true!" I snapped back.

"We know they're going to come true! It's stressing us out too! I don't know if you noticed but we were up all night with you!" Seto shot back.

"Yeah I noticed! But you at least got some peaceful sleep in your nap!" I retorted and then sighed gruffly and left roughly to continue getting ready. I tossed the things I need haphazardly into my suitcase and then shut it and carried to the door leaving it next to Seto's and Mokuba's things and went back to my separate room.

A while later, I heard a cautious knock at the door. It slowly opened and Mokuba stood there hesitantly. I couldn't say I blamed him for keeping his distance.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It's time to go to the blimp now...let's go..." he replied and led me out of the room and stayed a few steps ahead. The servants had finished putting the bags in the limo and we got in. I sat on the seat across from them and the tension in the limo was so thick, it was suffocating. I sighed heavily... I was too tired to deal with this shit...

_"Say something to them..." my inner self prodded. _

_"Like what?" I demanded sharply._

_"'I'm sorry for snapping at you' would be a good idea... They DID stay up all night with you and your lashing out at them wasn't fair to them, even if your nightmares were horrific and premonitory and you couldn't sleep. You need to apologize to them and smooth this over before you get on the blimp. Besides, you wouldn't want those stupid punks seeing your current tension with them and making remarks on it, right?" She did have a good point; I had to concede that at least. _

_"Alright," I agreed._

_"Good girl."_

I looked up at Seto and Mokuba and they noticed I was looking at them.

"Misty? What is it?" They asked curiously. I took a deep breath. "What's wrong?" they asked slightly alarmed.

"I just wanted to say... I'm...s-sorry... for snapping at y'all..."I got out slowly. Oh that felt so much better. They blinked in surprise and smiled appreciatively and waved me to sit with them. Wow, that was an easy forgiveness.

"_They were probably staying cautious because you snapped harshly at them and didn't want to make you madder by being next to you," my inner self theorized. _

"Apology accepted," they told me and hugged me.

"We want to apologize too," Seto announced. Whoa... I wasn't expecting that.

_"Maybe they feel guilty too?" my inner self speculated. I think she was just as surprised. _

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. We shouldn't have been cranky with you," Seto answered.

"Yeah, you had those scary nightmares that are going to come true and we got mad you kept us up all night when it wasn't your fault," Mokuba chimed in.

"Thank you," I replied still surprised and we all embraced and chatted like we normally did.

A few minutes later, we had gotten to the open-air Coliseum where the blimp was and we waited for the semi-finalists, namely the loser squad and Marik, some bald guy, and some Egyptian lady named Ishizu.

Seto was getting impatient waiting for them and told Roland and Fogata that if they weren't there within a few minutes, they'd be left behind, and only those competing could board the blimp. The loser squad, Marik, and the bald guy had arrived with a few minutes to spare, and Roland and Fogata told them only Yugi, Bakura, Joey, and Mai could board.

"Can we please go to cheer on Yugi, Bakura, Joey, and Mai?" Tea asked.

"No," Seto answered quickly.

"Seto, they have a point. Misty and I are not in the final 8 but we get to come on," Mokuba pointed out.

"Yeah, so why can't we?" Tristan demanded. Seto grumbled irritably. Well, they did have him there with that point...

"Fine..." Seto reluctantly acquiesced and then he helped me up, then he and Mokuba followed. "If you aren't up here within a few minutes, I'm leaving your sorry asses behind," Seto told them and he and Mokuba helped me up the steps and I looked around at the luxurious, spacious interior of the blimp. Seto was waiting at the top of the stairs with Mokuba while the loser squad, Marik, and the bald guy climbed the steps.

"Come on, let's get this thing off the ground," Seto commanded Roland and Fogata.

"But sir, we're missing one person in the final 8," Fogata protested.

"I don't care. I made the specifications clear. If they weren't here by a certain time, we'd leave them behind and they'd be disqualified. Now let's go!" Just then, the Egyptian woman Ishizu had come running to the blimp.

"Ishizu Ishtar... you're late. I should leave you right now."

"Please forgive me Mr. Kaiba," Ishizu apologized softly.

"Why should I?"

"I'm in the final 8 and I would like to participate to help save my brother," she replied. Seto rolled his eyes.

"Blah, blah, blah..." he mocked.

"Oh just let her on," I told him. "She'll get her ass kicked, so it doesn't matter that much or not, does it?"

"That's where you're wrong, Ms. Robinson," Ishizu replied with calm assurance.

"Whatever you say..." I retorted rolling my eyes.

"Alright, fine, whatever..." Seto acquiesced again and let her on board.

"My thanks to you Mr. Kaiba, and Ms. Robinson," Ishizu bowed lightly as she climbed the steps. We rolled our eyes again and went to get settled in our rooms.

Once in our room, Seto sat on the bed and sighed heavily and I could tell he was irritated. I sat on the bed next to him and wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. Mokuba sat on his other side.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked him gingerly.

"I just didn't want the losers on board, only the ones that had to participate," Seto replied.

"I know baby, but you know them... 'They HAVE to have their cheer squad with them when they duel, at all times,'" I mocked. "They're the least of your worries, and you have me and Mokuba to distract you," I added.

"Yeah Seto, and you also told me you would be busy researching The Winged Dragon of Ra, so you won't even have time to worry about them," Mokuba chimed in.

"You're going to destroy them and get that title," I assured him.

"You're right," Seto agreed instantly pepping back up.

"What?" Mokuba and I asked teasingly.

"You're right," Seto repeated and chuckled.

"And don't you forget it," I teased with a wink and he and Mokuba chuckled. I felt Seto's lips on mine for a moment and he got up feeling confident.

"Alright, those punks have had enough time to get settled. Let's get the order established and get the dueling started."

"Yes sir!" We agreed playfully and flanked him as he walked into the foyer and had Roland summon everyone. We stood by a Blue Eyes White Dragon ball machine that would determine the order. I glanced at Seto and noticed he was as serious as he normally was.

Everyone filed in and when Marik aka "Namu" came in and glanced my way with a smirk, I came closer to Seto and hid behind him similarly to how a shy little girl would hide behind her father. I heard Marik chuckle as he noticed, and I felt chills go down my spine.

"We will now announce the duel pairings and start the dueling in half an hour," Roland announced officially and started the BEWD ball machine. I heard the whir of the balls rolling around and when it was time, the BEWD leaned forward, opened its mouth and balls came rolling out on the track in pairs.

"The dueling pairs are as follows: Yugi Mutou vs. Ryou Bakura; Marik Ishtar vs. Joey Wheeler; Mai Valentine vs. Namu; and Mr. Kaiba vs. Ishizu Ishtar. Please prepare yourselves and make your way to the top of the blimp for the first duel within a half hour," Roland declared and everyone parted to get ready for the first duel.

"Well you got Ishizu. That should be an easy duel," I told Seto.

"No kidding," Seto agreed.

"I beg to differ," Ishizu cut in.

"Excuse you?" I retorted and looked at her with a stony hardness.

"I have foreseen your loss with the millennium necklace," Ishizu replied to Seto, completely ignoring me.

"Yeah, whatever... It's pretty sad you have to rely on visions from the millennium necklace to tell you if you're going to win. I rely on my own skills, "Seto retorted with an eye roll and we walked away. I couldn't stand Ishizu for some reason; she grated on my nerves, but not nearly as much as Wheeler and the loser squad did. I passed by the real Marik, not the bald imposter, and I saw him smirk and heard him chuckle sinisterly to himself as he looked at me wolfishly. I felt chills go up and down my spine as I could see the rape premonition again. I was snapped back to the present when I felt nudges from Seto and Mokuba.

"Misty?" They asked concerned. "What happened?"

"Premonition...the near rape one..." I answered. They sighed and hugged me tight.

"What is up wid you?" Wheeler asked as he and and the losers passed by.

"Go away Wheeler... this doesn't concern you," Seto snarled.

"Awright, awright... chill out, Moneybags..." Wheeler retorted as he and the losers walked past.

"We glared at them and when we were alone, Seto kissed me and he and Mokuba held my hand as we walked to the top of the blimp. I felt myself convulse from the overwhelming power of evil present.

"Geez, wad is up wid Mrs. Bitchy-Moneybags-to-be?" Wheeler asked as he saw me convulsing.

"Shut up dog!" Seto and Mokuba yelled at him and kicked him. The duel started and Yugi and Bakura were dueling hard. My convulsions worsened when Yugi destroyed Dark Necrofear and it turned into Dark Sanctuary and covered the duel area with a dark shadow dome. I could see ghost faces and eyes floating around and there was a ghost that would possess Yugi's monsters and drain its attack points and the LP to add to his own points. God... this was all so disgustingly horrifying and it made me sick to my soul. I felt my eyes turn Niobe-like as they normally did when it involved spiritual beings. I was starting to feel slightly claustrophobic, tired, and weak.

_"What is wrong with me? Why am I feeling sick? I should be used to all this, particularly around Halloween," I asked myself._

_"This is pure evil around us, not the Halloween stuff you're used to," my inner self explained. "These evil spirits are like your Kryptonite."_ Great... just great... I seriously hoped Yugi would hurry up and win this duel already so I could feel better.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"I...need to sit down..." I said wearily and slowly sank to my knees.

"Misty?" Seto asked and he came to my side knowing he wasn't going to miss much. "What's wrong?"

"So...much...evil... I feel sick..." I explained.

"Hang on honey," Seto whispered. I nodded a little in acknowledgment, but I still felt like hell. Mokuba sat down with me and helped support me. I would ask to get out of this area and go downstairs, but I wasn't sure if we could leave through the creepy, shadowy dome.

When Bakura played his Destiny Ouija Board, I felt sicker, especially if it meant he'd win within 5 turns when it got its last letter. Luckily, Yugi played the ginormous Slifer the Sky Dragon and he finally stood a shot and the fates started to favor him once again. He was about to make a winning strike when the evil Bakura spirit was separated from the body.

"Yugi! Attack! The loser squad encouraged.

"I can't! I'll kill him!" Yugi protested.

"YOU MUST ATTACK YUGI!" Seto called out a bit irritably and threatened to disqualify him. I had to admit I found that a tad distasteful.

"NOW YUGI!" Seto demanded.

"I won't attack! He's too weak!" Yugi protested. I saw the weaker Bakura ask what was going on in a daze, and after a few minutes of Yugi arguing with the others, particularly Seto, about attacking him, the evil Bakura decided to possess the weak Bakura because he couldn't risk the death of his host. Finally, Yugi attacked him and wiped out his LP and I gasped as the ghostly dome lifted and I felt better, but not completely.

"Misty? Are you okay? Do you want to go to the medical bay?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"I just want to go back to the room," I replied.

"Alright," Mokuba nodded as he helped me up and down the stairs to our room with Seto, but the loser squad approached us and demanded that we land the blimp and take Bakura to a hospital. Seto refused and told them that the medical staff on board were more than capable of looking after him while this tournament was going on. He ordered Roland and Fogata to take Bakura to the infirmary and have the medical staff look after him while we went into our room.

When I sat on the bed I looked at Seto slightly reproachfully.

"What's that look for?" Seto demanded.

"I do admit I did find that part where you demanding Yugi attack a weak Bakura like that to be a tad distasteful."

"What? Why?" Seto asked surprised.

"Well, insisting he attack a friend of his that could lead to his death is a bit distasteful for one. I know you hate them, but that was ugly. What would you do if I or Mokuba were in Bakura's place and we were that weak and were facing off against you? Would you want to attack either one of us and the attack could lead to our death, even though someone kept insisting you attack?" I pointed out.

"She does have a point, Seto," Mokuba concurred. Seto looked at us and looked like he wanted to say something, but the words were robbed from his mouth. He just growled in frustration.

"Honey, I know you're eager to get through everything, but lives matter. We don't want to be responsible for anybody's death," I added. He was still a little surly, but he silently conceded the point.

"Alright, alright..." he acquiesced.

"Honey, please relax," I requested and squeezed his hand. We sat silently until the next duel and then went up to watch Wheeler face off against the bald Marik imposter. I noticed this Marik-imposter used a series of temple cards to summon one big monster and also the Winged Dragon of Ra later on. Seto's eyes widened with excitement and anticipation as he looked at the powerful golden monster in front of him; he had been getting antsy waiting to see it. Unfortunately, it refused to listen to the Marik-imposter and a couple lightning flashes hit Wheeler and the Marik-imposter at the same time and they both were knocked out cold for a while.

"If they don't rise within 5 minutes, the duel is over and they are disqualified. The first one to rise is the winner," Seto declared officially. We watched as the Marik-impostor tried to rise but he was too weak. Eventually, Wheeler was the one able to get up. The bald Marik-impostor rose, apologized to Wheeler, and admitted he wasn't Marik, but "Namu" was and that his name was Odion and that he served the Ishtar family in their duty to guard the Pharaoh's tomb.

"No shit Sherlock," I snidely remarked. Odion ignored my remark and explained he was trying to protect his brother, Marik. Marik had confirmed the confession and his evil side took over. Odion somehow got stressed out and went unconscious. Seto ordered Roland and Fogata to take him to the infirmary also.

The evil Marik then got Seto's attention.

"Well, Kaiba, you enjoy Obelisk the Tormentor while you have him because you won't have him for much longer," Marik taunted.

"You're one to talk. You will be parting with the Winged Dragon of Ra first," Seto shot back cockily. An icy sneer graced his icy, sapphire eyes and his lips.

"You can't handle the sheer power of Obelisk or any of the other Egyptian god cards. I can because I'm one of the chosen few," Marik taunted arrogantly.

"Please, I control Obelisk because I'm a master duelist," Seto scoffed.

"Stop trying to run away from your 5,000 year old memories, Seto," Marik sneered as he emphasized Seto's name. Seto bristled in irritation and he rolled his eyes, swished his coat and demanded Mokuba and I follow him.

"Wait up Seto," Mokuba called after him as we were catching up to him. I wanted to talk to Seto about his exchange with Marik. What the hell was Marik talking to him about regarding a "5000 year-old memory"?

We got back to the room to rest a little bit before the next duel in another half hour.

"Seto?" I asked as I sat on the bed with Mokuba to catch my bearings.

"Hm?" Seto asked as he looked up at me.

"What was Marik talking about when he said 'You can't keep running from your 5000 year-old memory'?" I inquired curiously. Seto sighed heavily.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Seto tried to evade. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a disarming glare that demanded he answer me for a few minutes. Finally, he relented with a heavy sigh.

"Everyone seems to think Yugi is this reincarnated pharaoh and me as some reincarnated high priest with the same name as me. It's really annoying hearing it constantly every time I come around them. They say it's my destiny to fight the pharaoh again," Seto explained. That did sound a little weird. One of my eyebrows climbed a little skeptically.

"I know it's hard to understand or believe, but that's what I know. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about their stupid history repeating itself garbage. I make my own fate and rely on my skills," Seto explained. I felt myself vibrate negatively when he mentioned making his own destiny.

"You really shouldn't say that…" I warned.

"What?" Seto and Mokuba asked confused.

"Think about it," I commanded cryptically. They still looked at me confused. "Why am I here?" I asked with an exasperated sigh as I tried to give them a hint.

"Because we love you?" Mokuba offered. I had to admit that was a cute, irresistible answer. I couldn't help but give him a hug.

"You're warm, but not quite there," I replied honestly.

"What are you looking for?" Seto asked. I pointed skywards.

"Oh, right," they replied as they seemed to get it now.

"Ding Ding Ding!" I answered. They smiled slightly amused and Seto looked at his watch.

"Let's go watch the real Marik face off against Mai," Seto said as he got up and we went to the dueling field again.

When we got there, I noticed Mai was very angry and embittered. What was her problem? I also noticed the loser squad was nowhere in sight at the moment and that was just how she wanted it. Marik appeared on the dueling floor and the duel began. The loser squad then came running up and were trying to cheer her on, but she adamantly refused their help and cheers and played against Marik. I felt myself feel tremors of evil again. Yugi did try to warn her to get out and save herself, but Mai refused. Well, I had to admit that was a pretty tough choice… sacrificing and forfeiting the duel to save herself, or keep dueling out of pride. Mai was having a pretty tough time facing off against his slime tokens with her Harpies, Amazons, and mirrors. I had to admit I gasped when Marik revealed a twist- every time a monster of Mai's was destroyed, a part of her memory would be erased, and sure enough, one by one, she started to lose her memory of each of the loser squad members, and when one of his monsters was destroyed, her forgot about his mind slaves. That was fair… NOT. Poor Mai. True, she and I didn't exactly get along, but I still felt bad about her raw deal. I certainly didn't want to be in her shoes and forgetting about Seto, Mokuba, nor anybody I cared about. I felt a horrible shudder as Marik glanced my way and chuckled sinisterly at me. I gulped as I remembered that he was going to nearly rape me and put me in the Shadow Realm and torture me. Shit… I heard Joey trying to talk to her and she looked blank.

I saw Yugi's pyramid thingy glow and he closed his eyes concentrating. What was going on? What was the deal with those gold, ancient objects with the freaky eye glowing and weird shit happening?

I noticed a few minutes after Yugi had concentrated on his glowing pyramid, Mai had restored her confidence and used her Amazon Chain Master. Marik, however was a step ahead, and used Holding Arm to stop her attack for 3 turns. Mai used Grave Arm to bring back her Chain Master and then stole a card from Marik's deck. Nice!

"She got Winged Dragon of Ra!" everyone exclaimed awestruck. Very impressive. I saw Seto get very excited and he was eager to see it come to play.

"I hope she's good enough to use it," Seto pondered.

"I hope so too," I agree. Marik merely chuckled unfazed.

"You can't handle the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra!" He declared and cackled like a hyena.

"We'll see about that!" Mai declared and made some sacrifices and summoned The Winged Dragon of Ra and we were all excited, but disappointed when it was in sphere form. Um… where was the HUGE, golden bird we saw? Marik cackled again.

"It's in sphere form when someone unworthy is controlling it!"

"Oh I'm so going to find out how to control the Winged Dragon of Ra," Seto declared excitedly.

"What are you waiting for Ms. Valentine? Chant the phrase to unlock The Winged Dragon of Ra!" Marik challenged. "The text is there on the card. Are you a high-ranking individual like myself that can read it?"

"Mokuba, go get the satellites to take an image of the card," Seto commanded. Mokuba nodded and went to get the image. "I can bet you I can read it," Seto told me in a side whisper and was as antsy as a little boy at Christmas. I could only give an awkward smile in response to his excitement. In a way, I felt a little bit like an awkward intruder on his excitement for the Egyptian god cards. I know he was trying to include me in it, but I still felt weird and like we were on the back burner lately.

Back to the duel, Marik continued to taunt Mai and she was freaking out knowing she couldn't read it.

"I know what it says," Marik taunted again and blew her other traps away and chained her legs and arms to a wall and attacked her life points.

"Ready to experience the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra?!" Marik cackled and started chanting," Great beast of the sky, hear my cry. Please transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Melt the deserts with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your power from deep within, so that together we may win. Look here in this shadow game as I call your name, Winged Dragon of Ra!" With a blinding burst of light, the Winged Dragon of Ra burst from its spherical prison in all its huge, metallic gold glory. Everyone on the field was staring at its awesome majesty. Okay, I could see why Seto or anybody would be so crazy about this card, but I was sure there was even more to it. Marik complained about how he had a destiny he was supposed to live up to and the proof was on his back, but he wanted to live his own destiny. Sounded just like someone else I knew…*cough* Seto…

Joey had enough of this and he climbed onto the dueling platform.

"What is that idiot doing?!" Seto demanded aghast.

"Stop the duel!" Joey demanded and went to Mai. "Mai, it's me Joey, rememba?" Mai still looked blank.

"WHEELER! GET OFF THE DUEL FLOOR OR I WILL HAVE YOU DISQUALIFIED!" Seto snarled. Joey ignored him.

"Mai, I'm sorry that I said ya weren't in my memory. Ya really were. I care about ya, Mai, please rememba me!" Joey begged. Miraculously, Mai remembered him.

"Joey?" She asked. Joey's face lit up. Aww, that's nice.

"I'm stayin' here for you, Mai," Joey declared.

"Wheeler! Get off the platform!" Seto snarled. Marik grew impatient and readied a shadow monster for an attack to take her soul.

"Joey! Mai!" Yugi yelled and jumped onto the platform to shield him from the attack. The shadows passed through him and he glowed. Marik growled irritably and moved Yugi and Joey away with his powers.

"Marik Ishtar is the winner!" Roland declared. Marik smiled triumphantly and then froze Yugi and Joey.

"I don't need you two in my way," Marik told them as he went to Mai. "Now, as promised, you get a trip to the Shadow Realm!" Marik then raised the rod above her head and with a scream she was sent to the shadow realm.

"Mai!" The losers yelled and unchained her and the platform lowered. Mokuba had come running back like he had important news.

"Seto! There's more text on the card!" He announced. Seto smirked delighted.

"Thank you Mokuba." He turned to the loser squad with a complete 180 personality change. "Take her to the medical bay and hurry up and get off the field. I have to prepare for my duel," Seto commanded icily. Whoa… we walked away and went to the room and he fiddled with the computer trying to discern what the text said and he readied for his duel. I noticed he looked at me and smiled.

"So, going to cheer loudly for me during my duel?" Seto asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"You don't sound enthused," Seto noticed and his sapphire eyes widened in surprise and his smile fell. "What's wrong?" he asked tenderly and caressed my face. "Did I upset you?" I gave him a bit of a scowl in response. "What's that scowl for?"

"Nothing…" I sighed and turned away. Seto and Mokuba stood in front of me.

"Tell us," they commanded.

"Alright, calm your ass down and stop being so nasty," I snapped to Seto.

"What?" Seto reacted in shock.

"You've been downright nasty to people since we've been on the blimp. I get you hate the loser squad but the way you've been acting to them and getting way obsessed with this tournament is scaring me," I explained.

"You know how badly I want to win this championship and what being the duelist king means to me, and you know how excited I am about Ra. I thought you understood. You'd get all pumped up if you were competing in the final 8 too," Seto explained.

"Yeah, I might have been pumped, but at least I'd be compassionate with everything going on right now," I shot back. Seto and Mokuba seemed stunned at my anger. "People are losing their souls here, and I'm going to be one of them, or have you forgotten?" I added.

"Can we discuss this later?" Seto asked calmly.

"Fine!" I retorted irritably. The rest of the time he spent preparing for his duel was spent in silence before he and I made our way back to the dueling field while Mokuba went to the computer to get the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra card deciphered. Seto took his place there on the dueling platform and we were waiting for Ishizu to show up. Seto was rather impatient and told Roland and Fogata to disqualify her if she didn't arrive in 5 minutes. What was it with this woman and being late? How irritating she'd hold things up. She finally showed up in the nick of time it was going to take to disqualify her.

"Nice of you to finally show up so we can continue," Seto snapped at her. She merely ignored his comment.

"I am here to save my brother from the evil consuming him," Ishizu calmly replied.

"Good luck with that, sister!" The evil Marik cackled and sent his host soul into the Shadow Realm and completely took over.

"I will save you brother," Ishizu promised and turned her attention back to Seto. "Need I remind you about my millennium necklace's power? I have foreseen your loss against me, and after all, it was my idea to get you to organize this tournament to draw Marik here, and to loan you Obelisk the Tormentor." Wait, when did this happen between Ishizu and Seto? Where was I? Was I even here at that time? I don't think I was. Seto's loud, exasperated yell snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I'M SURROUNDED BY SUPERSTITIOUS NITWITS! And you made a big mistake in giving me Obelisk the Tormentor and expecting it back! And like I said before, it's pretty pathetic you have to rely on a piece of jewelry to tell you if you're going to win! I make my own luck and destiny!" I twitched with angry spasms as he said that last part. "LET'S DUEL AND GET THIS OVER WITH SO YOU WILL SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Ishizu dueled with her weird, freaky monsters and kept going on and on about how she'd foreseen each of his moves and had all Seto's moves figured out, and Seto used his crush and virus combination to render her deck useless, but she used Soul Exchange and left him with 6 cards. At times during the duel, Mokuba updated Seto on the decoding process. Yikes… how was he going to win like this?

"Just as I told you…" Ishizu told Seto coolly. Seto yelled in rage.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY?! I MAKE MY OWN DESTINY!" That's it! I was done with hearing him say that. I was fuming with rage and quietly turned around and walked to our room and was so upset and hurt he'd dare say that! Why the fuck was I here if it wasn't for destiny in the first place? I tried not to let the tears flow, but I was just so angry, they spilled out. I heard the door open a few minutes later and there was Seto and Mokuba.

"Misty? Where were you?" they demanded. I turned around and glared at Seto with a burning rage. Seto was taken aback by the rage he obviously saw in my eyes. My eyes never blinked as I got up and crossed the room and stood in front of him, my chocolate eyes boring with laser-like heat and focus into his sapphire eyes.

"How could you?!" I demanded first off.

"How could I what?" Seto asked confused.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB! HOW COULD YOU HURT ME LIKE THAT SAYING YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY WHEN I AM PROOF OF IT?! IT'S THE REASON I'M HERE! GOD MADE IT PART OF MY DESTINY TO PROTECT YOU TWO AND YOU KEEP SAYING YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN IT!" I snarled at him.

"Misty, this was just to get them off my case about the stupid connection to the past I'm supposed to have," Seto explained lamely. I screamed in frustration and irritation just as he had with Ishizu.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE PAST LIFE THEY SAY YOU WERE CONNECTED TO! THE FACT IS RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE A DESTINY WITH ME! SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY, YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE IN THE VERY FORCE THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER!" I yelled as tears flowed from my eyes. I was hyperventilating a little from the anger and could barely see anything. I felt Seto wrap his arms around me and sighed.

"Misty, that's not what I'm saying at all…" Seto tried to tell me. I pushed him away.

"MAYBE…NOT…INTENTIONALLY! BUT YOU…STILL… SAID IT!...YOU…HURT…ME…SO BADLY!" I replied, my sentences being punctuated by angry sniffles as I tried to breathe.

"DESTINY WAS THE REASON…I…CAME BACK…TO…YOU!" I added. I saw Seto pale and flinch.

"Misty, I'm so sorry…" Seto said softly and stung.

"Misty…" Mokuba tried to get my attention to help calm me down. I had to get away and have some solitude time. I just couldn't bear to see them right now after the way Seto had hurt me, even though I didn't want to leave. I pushed through the door crying and just ran down the hallway half-blind. I felt my skin react to something in the air and the next thing I knew something hit me in the back of the head and I was out cold. When I woke up, I felt my limbs tied to each corner of the bed, and I was naked.

_Please skip this section if you do not wish to read a graphic rape scene. _

Oh shit. My rape premonition was coming true! I tried to scream but the tape on my mouth muffled any screams I could muster. I looked around and froze when my eyes fell upon the evil Marik with a sinister smile on his face, the very same from the premonition.

"Hello again you little bitch," I screamed again, but it was pointless. Marik chuckled harder as if this was the funniest thing in the world. I struggled against my bonds hoping to create some noise and he laughed harder. "I told you I was going to make you pay for your resistance," Marik said and ran his hands over my naked body, thus sending repulsive chills through my body that felt exactly like the nasty chills I felt in my premonition.

"Mmm... so soft and squishy," Marik said and I freaked out more as he neared my vagina and jolted as he actually rubbed it. Oh God… this was so repulsive… I felt horrible surges course through my body at his touch and I struggled involuntarily. "Not so pure, but oh well at least he won't want you after I'm through with you," Marik remarked and then started licking and sucking my breasts. Tears poured from my eyes as I banged the walls trying to get someone's, particularly Seto's, attention. I screamed into my gag even though I knew it was futile; I couldn't help it…

"Like that?" Marik asked with a smirk as he saw me moving so much. He kissed down my torso to my vagina and actually started tasting me. I struggled harder with my bonds as I felt Marik's tongue caress my sensitive folds. I heard him moaning like he was enjoying himself. It felt like forever when he finally stopped, but I knew from my premonition that he wasn't done. Oh God Seto! Hurry up and get here!

"So wet..." Marik remarked and then pulled his pants and underwear down and started stroking his penis, and when he was satisfied with how hard it was, he hovered over me ready to push in. I screamed into the gag louder and writhed so hard I made louder noises against the walls. Why was Seto taking so long?! Was he that upset with me? I had to make louder noises, so I banged harder pouring all my hope into it hoping Seto would rescue me before Marik entered me.

_End of graphic rape scene_

Thankfully, someone had heard and opened the door. I looked and saw Seto standing there looking beyond livid at what he was seeing. I stared at him wide-eyed begging for him to help. He snarled and in a flash he was at the bed and yanked Marik off and started beating the living shit out of him. When he finished, Marik was a bloody, unconscious mess on the floor. Seto softened his look when he saw me and then he looked sad and remorseful as he untied my bonds and removed my gag. I curled up into a ball to cover myself and started crying. He wrapped the blanket around me and wrapped his arms around me holding me close. I cried into his chest while he stroked my back.

"I'm sorry Misty. I'm so sorry..." he apologized and held me tighter. "I should have protected you better... and I'm so sorry for being so stupid..." he apologized. I merely cried into his chest until I calmed down as Seto was stroking my back and hair. A bit later, Seto picked me up in the blanket and carried me back to our room. I continued to hold onto him tightly and silently, just relieved he saved me.

"I'm sorry Misty…" Seto apologized again sadly as he carried me.

"Seto? Misty? What's going on?" Mokuba asked as he saw us come in.

"Marik almost raped Misty…" Seto explained.

"Just like the premonition…" I added with a bit of a sniffle. Seto instinctively squeezed me tighter and put me on the bed but never let go.

"Oh Misty!" Mokuba exclaimed and joined in on the embrace. They sure knew how to make a girl feel better after such a horrible trauma. I was so grateful for their comfort. They held me silently for a few minutes and I calmed down.

"Misty I swear we will punish Marik severely for this," Seto promised. I merely nodded against him and Mokuba consenting and agreeing, though I didn't think whatever punishment he could dish out would be enough.

"We will make him pay for this, big time," Mokuba chimed in. I nodded once again. I really didn't feel like talking. There were a few minutes of silence before Seto said something.

"Let's get to bed," Seto suggested.

"Good idea big bro," Mokuba agreed. That really did sound good right now.

"Yes, let's get some rest," I agreed and we went to bed, though Seto didn't stay in bed with us very long; I woke up and saw him at the computer; he went do more research on that stupid Winged Dragon of Ra card to translate that text. I honestly couldn't wait for this damn tournament to be over so we could go back to how we normally were. This was stupid… I'm getting jealous a Duel Monster's card, albeit a powerful one, but still… he's researching this card right NOW, just after I was attacked and nearly raped by a psychopath. I sat up from the bed holding the blanket and the jacket he'd left on the bed. Mokuba stirred too.

"Seto… come to bed… can't it wait?" I asked with a slight pout.

"I'm so close to solving this," Seto responded without looking at me.

"Seto, you need rest too," Mokuba pleaded sleepily.

"I'm fine," Seto answered in a monotone voice as his attention remained on the screen. I sighed and rolled my eyes. It was time to guilt trip him.

"If I DO recall, it was YOUR idea for us to go to sleep and rest, especially after I was traumatized by being nearly raped by a psychopath… yeah… I know where your priorities lie…" I snapped sarcastically towards him. "Have fun researching your stupid Winged Dragon of Ra… good night…" I retorted and tried to cover my face to block out the light and go back to sleep. I don't know why, but I felt really nauseated, like I wanted to throw up. It could've been the fact I was nearly raped tonight. I tried to wait for it to settle, but I couldn't hold it anymore, so I got up holding the blanket and ran to our bathroom and threw up. Seto and Mokuba were instantly at my side as I threw up into the toilet rubbing my back soothingly.

"Oh Misty… was it the near rape?" Mokuba asked gently, hoping to pinpoint why I was sick.

"P-prob…" I began and hurled again. "…probably…" I answered and was breathing heavily and shuddering. Seto cleaned me up and brought me some fresh clothes for me to change into, and he and Mokuba waited outside the bathroom while I dressed. When I finished, I opened the door and Seto picked me up and carried me to the bed again.

"You…st-staying? Or…going…back to work?" I asked.

"You're right… I'll stay here with you," Seto answered. He gave me something to cleanse my mouth and tossed it away for me and then held me. "I'm sorry," Seto apologized. I was quiet. I was still a little irritated with him and he caught that. "You're still mad?"

"A little irritated, yes," I admitted. Seto sighed.

"I hope you can accept my apology…" Seto told me.

"I will, eventually, but right now, the fact you'd rather work instead of being right here when I needed you kind of stings…" I snapped. Seto sighed. "Don't sigh like that…" I added irritably and pulled away. He got up and turned his computer onto sleep mode.

"Good Seto," Mokuba told him almost patronizingly. Seto gave him a dirty look and then held me. I pulled away again.

"Okay, why do you say you want me here but keep pulling away when I try to hold you?" Seto demanded irritably.

"Well I might be more responsive if you didn't seem like you felt obligated," I shot back.

"It's not a sense of obligation! I want to hold you!" Seto snapped.

"Then mean it…" I retorted and settled into bed, covering my face, away from them.

"You really need to make it up to her," Mokuba told him and settled in next to me, and then I felt Seto's arms wrap around me from behind and hold me tight like he meant it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear. I stayed silent hoping it would sink in and fell asleep. I didn't sleep very well, but at least I wasn't waking up screaming from a nightmare.

The next morning I felt Seto holding me tightly while we lay next to each other. Whenever I moved, he wrapped his arms tighter. I felt sick again and wriggled out of his grasp and ran to the bathroom and lifted the toilet seat and hurled. Why? Why must I feel so sick now of all times?

"Misty?" Seto and Mokuba sleepily asked as they woke up and heard me retching and came to my side again. I started crying in between throwing up.

"What's wrong?" Seto asked me as he rubbed my back and held my hair.

"I don't know! But I hate feeling like this!" I bawled and continued to throw up for a few minutes.

"Oh Misty…" they said and hugged me. I tried to push them away because I felt disgusting. Seto cleaned me up again and gave me some more mouthwash and he looked like he was feeling bad. I didn't have much chance to think about it at the second because I realized I had to go to the bathroom.

"Get out please!" I said and pushed them out and closed the door and took care of business and washed my hands and then my face. I looked in the mirror and my reflection seemed different somehow, like I had a strange glow. Weird… I touched my face trying to determine where the glow was coming from but I guessed I shouldn't worry about that right now. I came out of the bathroom and they hugged me.

"Do you want to go to the doctor?" Seto asked as he caressed my face.

"Maybe later," I agreed.

"I hope it's nothing serious," Mokuba said worriedly.

"I hope not too," I agreed.

"You know, something seems different about you," Seto pointed out as he stepped back slightly.

"Yeah, I think I saw it in the mirror, but I don't know what it is," I agreed.

"Well, we're sure the doctor can figure it out later," Mokuba agreed. We nodded and then we got changed and left the room. Seto had his arm wrapped around my waist and I had my head on his shoulder and we went to the foyer where he got the microphone and commanded everyone meet in the foyer. A few minutes later, everyone came in.

"What's goin' on here? Why are we meetin'?" Wheeler asked.

"I don't know, but I guess it's really important," Yugi replied as they all assembled. Seto had a grim, agitated look on his face. "Kaiba? What's going on?" In response, Seto glared viciously at the battered and bandaged Marik.

"Marik Ishtar has been disqualified from this tournament," Seto answered as calmly as he could manage as he held me.

"WHAT?!" Everyone asked in shock. "WHY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Marik assaulted and almost raped Misty after Seto's duel!" Mokuba replied.

"And before he did manage to successfully rape her, I ripped him off of her and beat him to a pulp!" Seto added a bit forcefully.

"WHAT?!" Everyone asked and looked at Marik with their mouths agape in horror.

"It's true," I confirmed with a boom glaring at him.

"And as punishment, he will sit in a solitary cell until we land and then he will be turned over to the police and obviously is disqualified from the tournament," Seto declared. The others gasped and then Ishizu stepped forward. What the fuck did she want now?

"That's not wise, Mr. Kaiba," Ishizu told him with her calm demeanor.

"Excuse me?" Seto retorted irritably.

"He needs to have his shadow self exorcised from his body with this duel. Have you forgotten that it was my idea for this tournament to draw him here? His competing in this duel is crucial to the sake of the world and his soul." Was she fucking serious?! I was so angry, I let go of Seto and charged her yelling and tackled her and then started punching her.

"HE FUCKING TRIED TO RAPE ME LAST NIGHT AND YOU WANT HIM TO STILL BE IN THE TOURNAMENT?!" I snarled viciously, my voice turning demonic as I continued to beat her and then I finally stopped. The others stared at me with mouths agape. I got up panting angrily and tiredly. Ishizu got to her feet wobbly, bruised, had some bloody cuts, and a shiner on her eye.

"I understand your anger, Misty, but would you like it if he was sent to prison with this shadow part of his soul still intact, he would wreak serious havoc, possibly escape and cause chaos within the city and likely the rest of the world, putting innocent people, perhaps even your family, Mr. Kaiba, and Mokuba, into the Shadow Realm?" Ishizu asked. I barely heard her I was too angry. "We can end this evil right here," she added. I got in her face with a dangerous and sadistic glare.

"If I agree to this, do you solemnly swear on the fate of your life that if we let him participate, this demon will disappear if he loses?" I demanded.

"Yes," Ishizu answered immediately, but I knew she was nervous as hell. I could almost hear everyone's knees or teeth rattling with nervousness.

"And if you're wrong, I get to strangle you and him both?" I heard Ishizu gulp at the consequences I laid out for her should she be wrong, but then she nodded her head in consent. I extended my hand for a binding handshake. "Promise?" Ishizu reluctantly shook my hand.

"Good, you promised," I declared and let go and went to face Seto, who was still speechless at what he just saw. "Seto, my love, could you please remove the disqualification?" I asked sweetly.

"Are you serious?!" He asked wide-eyed in shock.

"It's the lesser of two evils… I'd rather his shadow self be contained and exorcised here without putting everyone in the world in jeopardy," I retorted. I really didn't like it myself, but I had to bite the bullet.

"So he still gets to compete even dough he tried to rape ya?!" Wheeler asked incredulously. I turned to him and gave him a cold glare.

"I'm giving her a chance to prove her declaration, and if she is wrong, I do get to strangle both Marik and her with my bare hands, and if you don't shut, up I'll add you to the list too," I snarled. I was still angry and vicious looking.

"Alright, as per Misty's command and deal with Ishizu… Marik… may still…compete," Seto declared officially and hesitantly. Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. I didn't care. I felt a chilling shudder telling me something bad was going to happen from this.

"Misty? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked concerned as he noticed the shudder.

"I don't know," I admitted and everything started to fade away and then all I saw was me in the Shadow Realm again and I was being tortured again and the pain felt so real I started screaming and tried to protect my stomach again. I felt someone shaking me like a rag doll and I gasped as the room started coming back into focus and everyone was staring at me freaked out.

"What happened?" Yugi asked concerned.

"Yeah, you just blanked and freaked out," Tristan pointed out. I realized what the shudder was… it was telling me that decision would end up with me being in the Shadow Realm. I couldn't do anything about it… it really was the lesser of two evils and I couldn't reverse my decision and put everyone in jeopardy if Ishizu was right. Shit…

"I'm going to the Shadow Realm soon…" I announced grimly.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"How? You aren't even participating? Why would he send you to the Shadow Realm?" Tea asked.

"It doesn't matter, he still will… he wants me to pay for my soul kicking his ass last time before I was returned to my body. He isn't done with me…" I replied grimly. Everyone stared silently. I glared at Ishizu. "You happy with this?"

"Of course it isn't pleasant what's about to happen, but you did make the right choice," she tried to assure me.

"Oh that makes me feel sooo much better," I snapped sarcastically.

"Have faith. If all goes according to plan, you won't be in there long," Ishizu tried to assuage me.

"Oh goody, I won't be tortured brutally for very long," I shot back, scoffed and walked away.

"You better be right!" I heard Seto snarl at her before he and Mokuba went to catch up to me. My soul felt as weighted as if it were made of solid diamonds. I really was not looking forward to enduring that version of hell. I felt Seto and Mokuba wrap their arms around me tight trying to make me feel better. It did help a little, but I still felt like shit.

A few hours later…

I was getting hungry for a snack, so I walked to the kitchen to grab something really quick and as I walked there, none other than Marik himself appeared, still bandaged and bruised and with his signature creepy smile holding the weird gold rod with the eye on the big ball sandwiched between two triangles. On instinct, I stepped back and tried to turn around to avoid him, but of course, he had gotten in front of me and raised his rod above me and I screamed as I felt the same agonizing headache from last time and immediately saw demons and shadow creatures greet me eagerly and then started pulling at my limbs. I screamed in agony and then they started putting shackles on my wrists and ankles, and then connected them with a heavy chain. They started dragging me to a room and I tried to bide the pain, but it was just so much. I leaned forward as much as I could on instinct to protect my belly. When they flipped the switch, a dim light illuminated the room, and I could just make out instruments of torture. They dragged me into the center and stood above me and I could feel the weight of what they were deciding to do to me. I had a pretty good idea, but that didn't help.

~Seto's POV~

I heard Misty screaming and felt her thrashing around again. Oh no! What was going on in her head? Was it another premonition? I tried to nudge her to get her attention and wake her up. It wasn't working. I kept trying to wake her up and shook her and felt her smack me in her thrashing. Oh no… something really bad was going on and about to happen.

"Misty!" I called frantically and she woke up and saw where she was. She held onto me tightly crying hard.

"Misty! What happened?! You were thrashing and screaming again," I asked worriedly as I held her and was stroking her back and her hair trying to get her to calm down.

"Premonition!" she choked out and I sighed heavily. Just as I thought. What horrible thing did she see that might take her away from us this time?

"What did you see?" I asked with lead in my voice. I was getting tired of them, but I had to know what it was so I could protect her.

"M-M-Marik...n-nearly... r-raped... me... but... you... s-stopped it..."

"Oh honey..." I said and held her tighter. I wasn't about to let that sick bastard do that to her! "Don't worry. I won't let you sleep in your own room, and you will stay by mine or Mokuba's sides the whole time," I promised. I could tell she was so scared.

"We...had... a...f-fight...I was alone... you got there... beat him... and then untied me... and you... a-apologized...profusely..." she added.

"Fight?" I asked surprised. "About what?" Why would we be fighting? That didn't sound like us.

"_All couples fight," my inner self pointed out. _I guess that is true, but still what on earth would we be fighting about? All of this was really upsetting me. I hated the idea that we would have a fight and Marik would take advantage of the time to try to rape her. Why was he so hell-bent on doing all this bad stuff to her? She didn't do anything wrong to him for him to be so angry with her in the first place.

"I...don't know..." Misty admitted. I sighed heavily and kissed her and held her tight for what seemed like hours and then we heard someone knock at the door.

"Mokuba?" I guessed and sure enough, Mokuba opened the door.

"Seto? Misty? Was it another premonition?" Mokuba asked.

"Yes Mokuba," I answered for Misty knowing she probably didn't have the courage to say it, and pat the bed inviting him to join us. I was glad we were wearing our robes at least. Mokuba came in and sat on the bed and hugged us both.

"What was this one about?" Mokuba asked her. Misty took some deep breaths obviously trying to work up her courage to say what her premonition involved.

"_You should say it…" my inner self advised._ I figured that was a good idea, but she beat me to the punch.

"M-M-Marik... n-nearly...r-r-raped me...but...Seto...s-saved me..." Misty stammered.

"Oh Misty..." Mokuba said with a gasp and hugged her tighter. We remained silent as we sat there in each other's arms until she seemed like she felt somewhat better, but the issue weighed heavily on our minds. We fell asleep and we were woken up when she started screaming, yelling, and tried to hunch over protecting her belly. Again?! "Misty!" Mokuba and I shouted and both shook her awake and saw her panicked expression in her chocolate eyes and she held us again upset and crying. "Misty! What happened?!" We demanded.

"Another one..."Misty stammered and we held her tighter.

"What was it this time?" I asked.

"Torture...again..." she choked out... Oh great… so now she was going to endure both a near rape and torture. I was still curious as to why she was so vehemently protecting her belly at all costs, as if that was the only thing that mattered in the world while she was screaming in agony.

"_Oh please don't tell me you're that dense you don't know…" my inner self told me. _

"_Know what?" I asked. My inner self face-palmed. "You're such an idiot…" he insulted me. _

"_Excuse me?" I demanded._

"_THERE'S A REASON SHE WAS PROTECTING HER BELLY AT ALL COSTS!"_

"_And what reason would that be?" I asked. My inner self yelled in frustration. _

"_You're a smart guy, figure it out!" my inner self snarled. _

"_Just tell me!" I commanded, but I received no response from him. "Hello?" Silence. I kept trying to get him to respond, but nothing._

"Ah hell..." I said exasperated. Misty merely remained silent this was frustrating as hell, but there wasn't much we could do. We fell asleep a little while later Mokuba and I were satisfied she had calmed down enough.

Misty kept having nightmares and Mokuba and I grew more irritable each time she had one. We knew it wasn't her fault, but still… her nightmare premonitions were getting irritating keeping us up all night.

"_Stop being such a selfish ass! She can't control what's going on! These are serious warnings that you need to seriously step up your security for her especially in her condition!"_

"_What condition?" I demanded irritably._

"_I told you, figure it out, idiot," my inner self retorted snarkily. _

"_TELL ME!" I commanded but he stayed silent. I mentally growled in frustration and irritation from not having that much sleep and his cryptic explanation. _

Morning came and we were so tired and exhausted from Misty's premonitory nightmare plagued night we were a bit grouchy to each other and didn't say much as we got ready and ate.

We worked to ensure that the rest of the tournament went smoothly and I made the room arrangements on the blimp for everyone and plotted out the itinerary. As promised, Misty was rooming with Mokuba and me. I felt better I at least accomplished that measure of security for her.

After we did all that, we went to separate rooms to try to nap before we had to go on the blimp. I fell on the bed like a rock and immediately crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. Ahhh…it was so good to sleep without having to worry about being woken up and possibly thrashed at by her nightmares. I woke up feeling a bit better, as did Mokuba, but Misty wasn't so lucky. She was even grouchier than she'd been this morning. "Misty? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"No, I'm not alright," Misty snapped harshly . Mokuba and I were both taken aback. I had to know what her deal was.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so snappish?" I demanded. I hated her grouchy attitude.

"_Be careful what you ask for…" my inner self warned shaking his head. _

"Well let's recap... I had a hell of a night not being able to sleep because of my damn premonitory nightmares, nor could I nap without being plagued by said nightmares that are going to come true no matter what I do... So tell me, where in that do I have any peace?"

"Take it easy Misty..." Mokuba said awkwardly trying to dissuade her anger and calm her down. I didn't think that was such a good idea, but at least he was trying.

"Sweetheart... please calm down..." I requested cautiously trying to back him up.

"Easy for you to say! You try having my nightmares when you fall asleep and knowing they're going to come true!" Misty snapped back. I was getting so damn frustrated… I knew they were going to come true already. She didn't seem to understand that her premonitions were stressing us out because we were trying to figure out ways around them to protect her, and all we were doing was failing.

"We know they're going to come true! It's stressing us out too! I don't know if you noticed but we were up all night with you!" I shot back.

"Yeah I noticed! But you at least got some peaceful sleep in your nap!" Misty retorted and then sighed gruffly and left roughly to continue getting ready. Mokuba and I sighed heavily. There was nothing we could say or do for her at the moment that wouldn't result in us getting our heads bitten off by a tired, angry woman. We decided to go to our rooms and finish packing. When we had finished, we brought our suitcases downstairs by the door and saw Misty come with hers and she carried it to the door leaving it next Mokuba's and my things and went back to her separate room.

"I'm really worried about her," Mokuba announced.

"Me too. She's so angry and doesn't think we get it, but we do… It's hell trying to figure out how to protect her from these horrible premonitions knowing they'll come true anyway and run the tournament at the same time."

"Yeah," Mokuba agreed. "Let's just leave her be until she's calmed down," he suggested.

"Good idea. I don't exactly want her biting my head off in her rage," I concurred. Mokuba nodded in agreement. We finished getting our things together and ordered the servants to start loading up the limo with our things. I then sent Mokuba up to bring her downstairs. He sighed a little reluctantly, but went to get her. I did feel kind of bad sending him upstairs since she was in a rage, but at least I knew she wouldn't really snap at him. I saw him coming and staying a few steps ahead of her. At least from what I could tell she was a bit calmer.

The servants had finished putting the bags in the limo and we got in. Misty sat on the seat across from us and the tension in the limo was so thick, it was suffocating and making me feel claustrophobic in a way. I heard her sigh heavily and her head was hung low; she still seemed crabby. In the meantime I was thinking about everything we had to do for Battle City and how to protect her. A couple minutes later, I could feel her gaze on us.

"Misty? What is it?" We asked curiously. Misty took a deep breath. "What's wrong?" we asked slightly alarmed. It sounded like something bad. I just hoped it wasn't.

"I just wanted to say... I'm...s-sorry... for snapping at y'all..."she got out slowly. We blinked in surprise and smiled appreciatively and waved her over to sit with us, where she belonged.

"Apology accepted," we told her and hugged her. That was a relief and it was nice for her to be so calm.

"We want to apologize too," I announced. It still felt awkward to apologize but I had to say it for being a cranky jerk.

"Really?" Misty asked.

"Yeah. We shouldn't have been cranky with you," I answered.

"Yeah, you had those scary nightmares that are going to come true and we got mad you kept us up all night when it wasn't your fault," Mokuba chimed in.

"Thank you," Misty replied still surprised, and we all embraced and chatted like we normally did.

A few minutes later, we had gotten to the open-air Coliseum where the blimp was and we waited for the semi-finalists, namely the loser squad, some bald guy who said he was Marik and I instantly hated, Ishizu Ishtar, and some other Egyptian with sandy-colored hair named Namu. They better not be late; I wanted to get things rolling right away.

I was getting more impatient by the minute waiting for them and told Roland and Fogata that if they weren't there within a few minutes, they'd be left behind, and only those competing could board the blimp. The loser squad, Marik, and the sandy-haired guy had arrived with a few minutes to spare, and Roland and Fogata told them only Yugi, Bakura, Joey, and Mai could board.

"Can we please go to cheer on Yugi, Bakura, Joey, and Mai?" Tea asked.

"No," I answered quickly. I didn't want the extra losers on the ship, particularly the dorky cheer squad. It was painful enough even letting those 4 losers competing on.

"Seto, they have a point. Misty and I are not in the final 8 but we get to come on," Mokuba pointed out. Damnit… Mokuba was right… why did he have to bring it up? But then again Mokuba was an officiant and what was I going to do with Misty? I had to keep an eye on her in case something happened.

"Yeah, so why can't we?" Tristan demanded. I grumbled irritably. Shit… I guess I had no choice…"Fine..." I reluctantly acquiesced and then I helped Misty up, then Mokuba and I followed. "If you aren't up here within a few minutes, I'm leaving your sorry asses behind," I told them and Mokuba and I helped Misty up the steps and I could tell she was looking around at the luxurious, spacious interior of the blimp. I was waiting at the top of the stairs with Mokuba while the loser squad, Marik, and the sandy-haired guy climbed the steps.

"Come on, let's get this thing off the ground," I commanded Roland and Fogata.

"But sir, we're missing one person in the final 8," Fogata protested. So?

"I don't care. I made the specifications clear. If they weren't here by a certain time, we'd leave them behind and they'd be disqualified. Now let's go!" Just then, Ishizu had come running to the blimp.

"Ishizu Ishtar... you're late. I should leave you right now."

"Please forgive me Mr. Kaiba," Ishizu apologized softly.

"Why should I?" I snarled.

"I'm in the final 8 and I would like to participate to help save my brother," she replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Blah, blah, blah..." I mocked. Doesn't she ever say anything new?

"Oh just let her on," Misty retorted. "She'll get her ass kicked, so it doesn't matter that much or not, does it?" I guess Misty had a point, but I didn't like to concede it.

"That's where you're wrong, Ms. Robinson," Ishizu replied with calm assurance.

"Whatever you say..." Misty retorted rolling her eyes. I had to admit I had to smile inwardly at Misty doing that; she really was my girl.

"Alright, fine, whatever..." I acquiesced again and let her on board.

"My thanks to you Mr. Kaiba, and Ms. Robinson," Ishizu bowed lightly as she climbed the steps. We rolled our eyes again and went to get settled in our room.

Once in our room, I sat on the bed and sighed heavily. Why did the rest of the losers have to be here? Misty sat on the bed next to me and wrapped her arm around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder. Mokuba sat on my other side. It was nice to have them right here when I was in a bad mood.

"What's wrong baby?" Misty asked gingerly.

"I just didn't want the losers on board, only the ones that had to participate," I replied.

"I know baby, but you know them... they HAVE to have their cheer squad with them when they duel, at all times,'" Misty mocked. "They're the least of your worries, and you have me and Mokuba to distract you," she added.

"Yeah Seto, and you also told me you would be busy researching The Winged Dragon of Ra, so you won't even have time to worry about them," Mokuba chimed in. True.

"You're going to destroy them and get that title," Misty assured me.

"You're right," I agreed instantly pepping back up. They were really good at this pep talk stuff and I was feeling a lot better.

"What?" Mokuba and Misty asked teasingly.

"You're right," I repeated and chuckled.

"And don't you forget it," Misty teased with a wink and Mokuba and I chuckled. I kissed her for a moment and I got up feeling confident.

"Alright, those punks have had enough time to get settled. Let's get the order established and get the dueling started."

"Yes sir!" Misty and Mokuba agreed playfully and flanked me as I walked into the foyer and had Roland summon everyone. We stood by a Blue Eyes White Dragon ball machine that would determine the order. I stared straight ahead with my signature icy stare as I waited for them to hurry up and come.

Everyone filed in and when "Namu" came in and glanced Misty's way with a smirk, I noticed she came closer to me and hid behind me similarly to how a shy little girl would hide behind her father. Something was definitely not right about that. I heard him chuckle as he noticed, and I could sense she was scared.

"We will now announce the duel pairings and start the dueling in half an hour," Roland announced officially and started the BEWD ball machine. I heard the whir of the balls rolling around and when it was time, the BEWD leaned forward, opened its mouth and balls came rolling out on the track in pairs. Who was I going to crush first?

"The dueling pairs are as follows: Yugi Mutou vs. Ryou Bakura; Marik Ishtar vs. Joey Wheeler; Mai Valentine vs. Namu; and Mr. Kaiba vs. Ishizu Ishtar. Please prepare yourselves and make your way to the top of the blimp for the first duel within a half hour," Roland declared and everyone parted to get ready for the first duel. Well at least I had an easy duel ahead. I was going to destroy her.

"Well you got Ishizu. That should be an easy duel," Misty told me.

"No kidding," I agreed.

"I beg to differ," Ishizu cut in. How dare she?!

"Excuse you?" Misty retorted and looked at her with a stony hardness.

"I have foreseen your loss with the millennium necklace," Ishizu replied tome, completely ignoring Misty. I was very irritated with Ishizu's lack of respect around here.

"Yeah, whatever... It's pretty sad you have to rely on visions from the millennium necklace to tell you if you're going to win. I rely on my own skills, " I retorted with an eye roll and we walked away. I couldn't wait to beat that idiot bitch; she grated on my nerves, but not nearly as much as Wheeler and the loser squad did. We walked past "Namu" and I saw him smirk and heard him chuckle sinisterly to himself as he looked at Misty wolfishly. Okay, something was very wrong with that picture. We tried to keep walking but Misty was frozen with a look of horror on her face. Oh no… not again…

"_It's because of him! He's probably triggered Misty to have the rape premonition just now! That must be the REAL Marik!" my inner self screamed in my head. I winced inwardly at the mental noise but he did have a point. No wonder she was so freaked out by him. _

"Misty?" I called and nudged her. She was still frozen with a look of horror on her face.

"Misty?" Mokuba and I both called and nudged her and then she blinked and was back in the present. "Misty?" We asked concerned. "What happened?" I knew, but I wanted a confirmation.

"Premonition...the near rape one..." Misty answered. I knew it… We sighed and hugged her tight.

"What is up wid you?" Wheeler asked as he and and the losers passed by.

"Go away Wheeler... this doesn't concern you," I snarled. I didn't need him grating on our nerves while we were so freaked out about Misty's premonition again.

"Awright, awright... chill out, Moneybags..." Wheeler retorted as he and the losers walked past. Thank God they left…

We glared at them and when we were alone, I kissed Misty and Mokuba and I held her hands as we walked to the top of the blimp. I felt her convulse through her hands. What was going on with her?

"Geez, wad is up wid Mrs. Bitchy-Moneybags-to-be?" Wheeler asked as he looked over and saw her convulsing.

"Shut up dog!" Mokuba and I yelled at him and kicked him. That felt good. The duel started and Yugi and Bakura were dueling hard. Misty's convulsions worsened when Yugi destroyed Dark Necrofear and it turned into Dark Sanctuary and covered the duel area with a dark shadow dome. There were ghost faces and eyes floating around and there was a ghost that would possess Yugi's monsters and drain their attack points and the LP to add to Bakura's own points. I felt so bad for Misty as she was enduring this horror; she looked so sick and then tears started to flow. I wished I could get her help but we couldn't leave this dome. Hang in there sweetheart.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"I...need to sit down..." Misty said wearily and slowly sank to her knees. Oh wow, this was really bad. Yugi needed to hurry up and finish this duel or what if Misty went into shock?

"Misty?" I asked and I came to her side knowing I wasn't going to miss much. "What's wrong?"

"So...much...evil... I feel sick..." Misty explained.

"_She's an angel, dummy! There's evil present and she's having a kind of an allergic reaction to it," my inner self explained. Oh, right. _

"Hang on honey," I whispered. She nodded a little in acknowledgment, but I could tell she still seemed like she felt like hell. Mokuba sat down with her and helped support her. When Bakura played his Destiny Ouija Board, she seemed sicker, especially if it meant he'd win within 5 turns when it got its last letter. Luckily, Yugi played the ginormous Slifer the Sky Dragon and he finally stood a shot and the fates started to favor him once again. He was about to make a winning strike when the evil Bakura spirit was separated from the body. Finally!

"Yugi! Attack! The loser squad encouraged.

"I can't! I'll kill him!" Yugi protested.

"YOU MUST ATTACK YUGI!" I called out a bit irritably and threatened to disqualify him. Here was his chance to win and he refused to take the shot! I wouldn't have hesitated like he is.

"NOW YUGI!" I demanded.

"I won't attack! He's too weak!" Yugi protested. As I argued with Yugi about attacking Bakura to win the duel, the evil Bakura decided to possess the weak Bakura because he couldn't risk the death of his host. Finally, Yugi attacked him and wiped out his LP and I heard Misty gasp as the ghostly dome lifted and she looked better, but not completely.

"Misty? Are you okay? Do you want to go to the medical bay?" Mokuba asked concerned.

"I just want to go back to the room," Misty replied.

"Alright," Mokuba nodded as he helped her up and down the stairs to our room with me, but the loser squad approached us and demanded that we land the blimp and take Bakura to a hospital. I refused and told them that the medical staff on board were more than capable of looking after him while this tournament was going on. There was no way in hell I was going to land this blimp not with these last battles. I wasn't going to give up the momentum. I ordered Roland and Fogata to take Bakura to the infirmary and have the medical staff look after him while we went into our room. Who did they think they were ordering ME around in MY blimp and tournament?

When Misty sat on the bed, she looked at me slightly reproachfully. What did I do?

"_Aside from being a jerk?" my inner self retorted snappishly. I ignored him. "Don't run from it, you know you were."_

"What's that look for?" I demanded.

"I do admit I did find that part where you demanding Yugi attack a weak Bakura like that to be a tad distasteful," Misty retorted.

"What? Why?" I asked surprised. I had to admit I was caught off guard.

"Well, insisting he attack a friend of his that could lead to his death is a bit distasteful for one. I know you hate them, but that was ugly. What would you do if I or Mokuba were in Bakura's place and we were that weak and were facing off against you? Would you want to attack either one of us and the attack could lead to our death, even though someone kept insisting you attack?" Misty pointed out.

"She does have a point, Seto," Mokuba concurred. I looked at them and I wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out, but instead growled in frustration. It was frustrating they didn't get the urgency of the attack, but then again…they…were right… I wouldn't like it if they were in Bakura's position and people were ordering their opponent attack if it meant they might die from it…

"Honey, I know you're eager to get through everything, but lives matter. We don't want to be responsible for anybody's death," Misty added. I still hated conceding the point.

"Alright, alright..." I acquiesced.

"Honey, please relax," Misty requested and squeezed my hand. I held her hand for a while and felt a little better but I was still a bit on edge about the whole tournament. We sat silently until the next duel and then went up to watch Wheeler face off against guy claiming to be Marik. This "Marik" used a series of temple cards to summon one big monster and also the Winged Dragon of Ra later on. Here it was! Oh God! How exciting! I couldn't wait to see it in action! My eyes widened with excitement and anticipation as I gazed upon the powerful golden monster in front of me. It was about damn time I get to see this power! Unfortunately, it refused to listen to "Marik" and a couple lightning flashes hit Wheeler and "Marik" at the same time and they both were knocked out cold for a while.

"If they don't rise within 5 minutes, the duel is over and they are disqualified. The first one to rise is the winner," I declared officially. I wasn't going to wait forever for them. We watched as "Marik" tried to rise but he was too weak. There was a long pause and eventually, Wheeler was the one able to get up. The bald Marik-impostor rose, apologized to Wheeler, and admitted he wasn't Marik, but "Namu" was and that his name was Odion and that he served the Ishtar family in their duty to guard the Pharaoh's tomb.

"No shit Sherlock," Misty snidely remarked. Odion ignored her remark and explained he was trying to protect his brother, Marik. Marik had confirmed the confession and his evil side took over. Odion somehow got stressed out and went unconscious. Great…another one… I ordered Roland and Fogata to take him to the infirmary also.

The evil Marik then got my attention.

"Well, Kaiba, you enjoy Obelisk the Tormentor while you have him because you won't have him for much longer," Marik taunted.

"You're one to talk. You will be parting with the Winged Dragon of Ra first," I shot back with my signature icy sneer.

"You can't handle the sheer power of Obelisk or any of the other Egyptian god cards. I can because I'm one of the chosen few ," Marik taunted arrogantly.

"Please, I control Obelisk because I'm a master duelist," I scoffed.

"Stop trying to run away from your 5,000 year old memories, Seto," Marik sneered as he emphasized my name. How dare he?! I did NOT authorize him to say my name! I bristled in irritation and I rolled my eyes, swished my coat and demanded Mokuba and Misty follow me.

"Wait up Seto," Mokuba called after him as they were catching up to me.

We got back to the room to rest a little bit before the next duel in another half hour.

"Seto?" Misty asked as she sat on the bed with Mokuba..

"Hm?" I asked as I looked up at her.

"What was Marik talking about when he said 'You can't keep running from your 5000 year-old memory'?" she inquired curiously. I sighed heavily. I had to explain this, I think again, to her… I hated explaining this because it sounded so stupid. Hopefully I could evade it.

"_Don't bet on it…" my inner self scoffed. _

"Don't worry about it, okay?" I tried to evade. Misty crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a hard, disarming glare that demanded I answer her, for a few minutes. I didn't want to, but finally, I relented with a heavy sigh knowing she wasn't going to give up.

"_Told you so," my inner self smugly told me._

"Everyone seems to think Yugi is this reincarnated pharaoh and me as some reincarnated high priest with the same name as me. It's really annoying hearing it constantly every time I come around them. They say it's my destiny to fight the pharaoh again," I explained. One of her eyebrows climbed a little skeptically.

"I know it's hard to understand or believe, but that's what I know. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about their stupid history repeating itself garbage. I make my own fate and rely on my skills," I explained.

"You really shouldn't say that…" Misty warned.

"What?" Mokuba and I asked confused. What did she mean I shouldn't say that.

"Think about it," Misty commanded cryptically. We still looked at her confused. "Why am I here?" Misty asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Because we love you?" Mokuba offered. Good answer. Misty gave him a hug. She must've really liked that answer.

"You're warm, but not quite there," Misty replied honestly.

"What are you looking for?" I asked. Misty pointed skywards. Oh yeah! That's right, she's our angel.

"Oh, right," we replied..

"Ding Ding Ding!" Misty answered. We smiled slightly amused at her little sound effect and I looked at my watch.

"Let's go watch the real Marik face off against Mai," I said as I got up and we went to the dueling field again.

When we got there, I noticed Mai was very angry and embittered. What was her problem? I also noticed the loser squad was nowhere in sight at the moment and that was just how she wanted it. That was slightly odd considering they all HAD to be present when one of their own were dueling, but whatever. Marik appeared on the dueling floor and the duel began. The loser squad then came running up, speak of the devils, and were trying to cheer her on, but she adamantly refused their help and cheers and played against Marik. Yugi did try to warn her to get out and save herself, but Mai refused. Mai was having a pretty tough time facing off against his slime tokens with her Harpies, Amazons, and mirrors. I had to admit I was a bit surprised when Marik revealed a twist- every time a monster of Mai's was destroyed, a part of her memory would be erased, and sure enough, one by one, she started to lose her memory of each of the loser squad members, and when one of his monsters was destroyed, her forgot about his mind slaves. Yikes. I'd hate to be in her shoes and forget about Misty or Mokuba. Gozaboro I wouldn't mind, but still. Marik was certainly a sadistic bastard. I noticed Misty had a horrible shudder as Marik glanced her way and chuckled sinisterly at her. Shit… that was not good… it meant that he really was serious about what he'd do to her. I heard Wheeler trying to talk to her and she looked blank; she really couldn't remember him Wow that must really sting.

I saw Yugi's millennium puzzle glow and he closed his eyes concentrating. What was going on?

I noticed a few minutes after Yugi had concentrated on his glowing puzzle, Mai had restored her confidence and used her Amazon Chain Master. Marik, however was a step ahead, and used Holding Arm to stop her attack for 3 turns. Mai used Grave Arm to bring back her Chain Master and then stole a card from Marik's deck. Nice!

"She got Winged Dragon of Ra!" everyone exclaimed awestruck. Very impressive. AWESOME! I was going to see it in play again and get to learn more about what makes this beautiful, powerful monster tick!

"I hope she's good enough to use it," I pondered aloud.

"I hope so too," Misty agreed. Marik merely chuckled unfazed. He probably knew nothing really was going to result from this move.

"You can't handle the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra!" He declared and cackled like an insane hyena.

"We'll see about that!" Mai declared and made some sacrifices and summoned The Winged Dragon of Ra and we were all excited, but disappointed when it was in sphere form. Where the hell was it?! Marik cackled again.

"It's in sphere form when someone unworthy is controlling it!" Marik shrieked.

"Oh I'm so going to find out how to control the Winged Dragon of Ra," I declared excitedly. I couldn't wait to learn all its secrets!

"What are you waiting for Ms. Valentine? Chant the phrase to unlock The Winged Dragon of Ra!" Marik challenged. "The text is there on the card. Are you a high-ranking individual like myself that can read it?" Maybe she wasn't but I knew I sure as hell was, and I was determined to prove it. I just needed to give myself a head start.

"Mokuba, go get the satellites to take an image of the card," I commanded. Mokuba nodded and went to get the image. "I can bet you I can read it," I told Misty in a side whisper and was as antsy as a little boy at Christmas.

Back to the duel, Marik continued to taunt Mai and she was freaking out knowing she couldn't read it.

"I know what it says," Marik taunted again and blew her other traps away and chained her legs and arms to a wall and attacked her life points.

"Ready to experience the power of the Winged Dragon of Ra?!" Marik cackled and started chanting," Great beast of the sky, hear my cry. Please transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Melt the deserts with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your power from deep within, so that together we may win. Look here in this shadow game as I call your name, Winged Dragon of Ra!" With a blinding burst of light, the Winged Dragon of Ra burst from its spherical prison in all its huge, metallic gold glory. Everyone on the field, especially me, was staring at its awesome majesty. Marik complained about how he had a destiny he was supposed to live up to and the proof was on his back, but he wanted to live his own destiny. What a pitiful story, but I could relate to him wanting to make and live up to his own destiny.

Wheeler had enough of this and he climbed onto the dueling platform.

"What is that idiot doing?!" I demanded aghast. Who the hell did he think he was jumping up there and interrupting this duel?!

"Stop the duel!" Wheeler demanded and went to Mai. "Mai, it's me Joey, rememba?" Mai still looked blank.

"WHEELER! GET OFF THE DUEL FLOOR OR I WILL HAVE YOU DISQUALIFIED!" I snarled but that son-of-a-bitch ignored me!

"Mai, I'm sorry that I said ya weren't in my memory. Ya really were. I care about ya, Mai, please rememba me!" Wheeler begged, and then Mai remembered him.

"Joey?" She asked. Wheeler's face lit up.

"I'm stayin' here for you, Mai," Wheeler declared.

"Wheeler! Get off the platform!" I snarled. Marik grew impatient and readied a shadow monster for an attack to take her soul. This idiot really needed to get off the platform and stop wrecking the duel! He was really pissing me off.

"Joey! Mai!" Yugi yelled and jumped onto the platform to shield him from the attack. The shadows passed through him and he glowed. Marik growled irritably and moved Yugi and Wheeler away with his powers.

"Marik Ishtar is the winner!" Roland declared. Marik smiled triumphantly and then froze Yugi and Wheeler.

"I don't need you two in my way," Marik told them as he went to Mai. "Now, as promised, you get a trip to the Shadow Realm!" Marik then raised the rod above her head and with a scream she was sent to the Shadow Realm.

"Mai!" The losers yelled and unchained her and the platform lowered. Mokuba had come running back like he had important news.

"Seto! There's more text on the card!" he announced. Excellent!

"Thank you Mokuba." I turned to the loser squad with an icy attitude . "Take her to the medical bay and hurry up and get off the field. I have to prepare for my duel," I commanded icily. We walked away and went to the room and I worked on the computer trying to translate what the text said and I readied for my duel. I looked at her and smiled.

"So, going to cheer loudly for me during my duel?" I asked. I knew the answer already; it was going to be nice having my sexy cheerleader cheering for me.

"Yeah," Misty replied but she didn't have the eager enthusiasm I was hoping for.

"You don't sound enthused," I noticed and my eyes widened in surprise and my smile fell. Why wasn't she enthusiastic? "What's wrong?" I asked tenderly and caressed her face. "Did I upset you?" Misty scowled a bit in response. "What's that scowl for?"

"Nothing…" Misty sighed and turned away. Liar. I wasn't going to let her get away with not giving me an answer. Mokuba and I stood in front of her.

"Tell us," we commanded.

"Alright, calm your ass down and stop being so nasty," Misty snapped at me. Whoa! What the hell was up with that?!

"What?" I reacted in shock.

"You've been downright nasty to people since we've been on the blimp. I get you hate the loser squad but the way you've been acting to them and getting way obsessed with this tournament is scaring me," Misty explained.

"You know how badly I want to win this championship and what being the duelist king means to me, and you know how excited I am about Ra. I thought you understood. You'd get all pumped up if you were competing in the final 8 too," I explained. I still can't believe she said that.

"Yeah, I might have been pumped, but at least I'd be compassionate with everything going on right now," Misty shot back. Mokuba and I were stunned at her anger. "People are losing their souls here, and I'm going to be one of them, or have you forgotten?" she added.

"Can we discuss this later?" I asked calmly. I really didn't want to fight with her on this right before my duel, and later we would have cooler heads.

"_Good thinking," my inner self remarked. _

"Fine!" Misty retorted irritably. I hoped she'd calm down and get into the spirit to cheer me on at least. Not wanting to antagonize her further, the rest of the time I spent preparing for my duel was spent in silence before she and I made our way back to the dueling field while Mokuba went to the computer to get the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra card deciphered for me. If anyone besides me could get the text revealed, he could. I took my place there on the dueling platform and we were waiting for Ishizu to show up. Again?! Seriously?! Why the fuck did she not respect my time? I wasn't going to wait for her to show up forever especially with her recent track record of being late, so I told Roland and Fogata to disqualify her if she didn't arrive in 5 minutes. What was it with this woman and being late? I didn't have time for her bullshit. She finally showed up in the nick of time it was going to take to disqualify her.

"Nice of you to finally show up so we can continue," I snapped at her. She merely ignored me. The nerve of that bitch!

"I am here to save my brother from the evil consuming him," Ishizu calmly replied.

"Good luck with that, sister!" The evil Marik cackled and sent his host soul into the Shadow Realm and completely took over. Like she really stood a chance. Puhleeze!

"I will save you brother," Ishizu promised and turned her attention back to me. "Need I remind you about my millennium necklace's power? I have foreseen your loss against me, and after all, it was my idea to get you to organize this tournament to draw Marik here, and to loan you Obelisk the Tormentor." I yelled loud and exasperated.

"I'M SURROUNDED BY SUPERSTITIOUS NITWITS! And you made a big mistake in giving me Obelisk the Tormentor and expecting it back! And like I said before, it's pretty pathetic you have to rely on a piece of jewelry to tell you if you're going to win! I make my own luck and destiny "LET'S DUEL AND GET THIS OVER WITH SO YOU WILL SHUT THE HELL UP!" God I was getting so fucking tired of all this "Destiny" shit! I made my own luck and destiny!

"_You might want to be careful saying that…" my inner self warned. _

"_What the fuck are you talking about?" I snapped. _

"_Look at Misty…" he replied._

"_LATER!" _

"…_Fine…" he conceded and went silent. _

Ishizu dueled with her weird, freaky monsters and kept going on and on about how she'd foreseen each of my moves and had all my moves figured out, and I used my crush and virus combination to render her deck useless, but she used Soul Exchange and left me with 6 cards. Shit! But I wasn't going to prove her right! At times during the duel, Mokuba updated me on the decoding process.

"Just as I told you…" Ishizu said coolly. I yelled in rage as she brought up the "Destiny" shit yet again. She didn't know how to shut the fuck up, did she?

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU I DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY?! I MAKE MY OWN DESTINY!"

"_Shouldn't have said that…" my inner self told me reproachfully but I completely ignored him_.

I did use Obelisk, but then I had a flash from the millennium rod showing me a vision of the priest from the past that looked like me holding a white-haired, unconscious woman in his arms and then the Blue Eyes White Dragon appeared like it was giving me a message to use it. Blue Eyes never steered me wrong before, so I sacrificed Obelisk and summoned my Blue Eyes White Dragon and watched as Ishizu's eyes widened in surprise. Oh, she wasn't expecting that, huh? I chuckled victoriously to myself as I then used Blue Eyes to destroy her.

After the duel, Ishizu approached me.

"Well done Mr. Kaiba. You have taught me a valuable lesson about future sight. I thank you for that, but I will continue to fight for my brother's cause," she said calmly. Yawn… boring. I then looked around for my sexy cheerleader. Mokuba had come down with more good news about the card, but Misty was nowhere in sight. Where the hell was she?! Why didn't she stay?!

"_Well, idiot, I warned you not to say the 'I make my own luck and destiny' speech…" he reproached me. _Shit… she didn't stay because of that?

"_Bingo, Idiot," my inner self shot back._ As if that wasn't bad enough, that damn mutt Wheeler had a smug smirk on his face.

"Haha Moneybags! Couldn't even get ya future bride to stay ta cheer ya on!" he hooted.

"Joey! That's enough!" Yugi and Tea rebuked him.

"I don't have time to deal with you losers!" I snarled icily hoping to at least send chills down their spine, but then again I really didn't care at the moment; right now the only thing I cared about was finding out why she wasn't there for the full duel to cheer me on. I forced the door open a few minutes later and there she was on the bed. Well at least I didn't have to search the whole blimp for her.

"Misty? Where were you?" we demanded. I was surprised when she turned around and glared at me with a burning rage. I was a little freaked when I saw her eyes never blinked as she got up and crossed the room and stood in front of me, her chocolate eyes boring with laser-like heat and focus into my sapphire eyes. Her anger made me uneasy.

"_You had it coming," my inner self reminded me. _

"How could you?!" Misty demanded first off.

"How could I what?" I asked confused.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB! HOW COULD YOU HURT ME LIKE THAT SAYING YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY WHEN I AM PROOF OF IT?! IT'S THE REASON I'M HERE! GOD MADE IT PART OF MY DESTINY TO PROTECT YOU TWO AND YOU KEEP SAYING YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN IT!" Misty snarled at me.

"Misty, this was just to get them off my case about the stupid connection to the past I'm supposed to have," I tried to explain. I had no intention of her getting hurt from what I said. I just wanted Yugi, Ishizu, and everyone else to shut up about the past. Misty screamed in frustration and irritation just as I had with Ishizu, but her scream was more piercing.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE PAST LIFE THEY SAY YOU WERE CONNECTED TO! THE FACT IS RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE A DESTINY WITH ME! SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN DESTINY, YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE IN THE VERY FORCE THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER!" Misty yelled as tears flowed from her eyes like a downpour and she was hyperventilating a little from the anger. I wrapped my arms around her and sighed.

"Misty, that's not what I'm saying at all…" I tried to tell her, but she pushed me away.

"MAYBE…NOT…INTENTIONALLY! BUT YOU…STILL… SAID IT!...YOU…HURT…ME…SO BADLY!" Misty replied, her sentences being punctuated by angry sniffles as she tried to breathe. I'd never seen her so angry or upset before.

"DESTINY WAS THE REASON…I…CAME BACK…TO…YOU!" she added pointedly. I paled and flinched. Oh God… she had to remind me of her almost death.

"Misty, I'm so sorry…" I said softly and stung as it started to sink in.

"Misty…" Mokuba tried to get her attention to help calm her down. If I couldn't help get her calm, he could, but even he couldn't do that because she stormed out of the room.

"_You're such an idiot…" my inner self insulted me with a shake of his head._

"_You don't need to tell me… I know…" I growled at him. _

"_Well, as long as you know that. I mean come on, we WARNED you not to say it but you go ahead and say it anyway," he reminded me._

"_Shut up, I know!" I snarled and sighed heavily and sank in the chair rubbing my temple from the migraine I was getting. "If only every one of the losers, especially Ishizu, would just shut the hell up about the whole past crap, I wouldn't have snapped. I didn't mean us."_

"_The way you said it made it seem like you didn't believe in ANYTHING, including the force that brought you two together." I sighed heavily again._

"_I really suck at this emotional stuff… maybe I'm destined to hurt everyone I love,"_

"_Stop with the pity party. She and Mokuba still love you. You just need to apologize to her when she's calmed down."_

"_How? I messed up so bad… I hope she forgives me." My inner self kicked the inside of my head. _

"_Well you could say you're sorry and that you didn't mean anything by what you said REGARDING THE PRESENT AND FUTURE, when she's calmed down, and then spend some time with her; I think she feels a bit neglected," my inner self suggested. I sighed again._

"_I've been so driven with this tournament, it's eaten up all my time," I replied._

"_Doesn't she deserve for you to make some time for her?" my inner self asked. I hated to admit it, but he was right. "What's that?"_

"…_You're right…" I reluctantly conceded. _

"_That's what I thought," my inner self said smugly and then paused. "Wait…something's wrong… do you hear that?" he asked. I was silent and heard someone pounding on the walls and I could feel something like a stone sink to the pit of my stomach. _

"_Misty…" I said worriedly and my head shot up worriedly._

"_Her rape premonition….GO! NOW!" my inner self commanded._ Without hesitation I got up and started running looking for her, listening to the pounding. It got louder and I could hear Marik through the door talking about how soft and tasty she was. Hearing those words made me sick. I burst open the door and I saw a naked-below-the-waist Marik on top of a tied, gagged, and naked Misty ready to push in. The helpless look begging me to help her in her eyes haunted me and made me see red. I snarled and charged at him like a raging bull and yanked him off of her HARD and started beating the living shit out of him until he was a bloody unconscious mess on the floor. I softened my look when I saw her and then I felt sad and remorseful as I untied her bonds and removed her gag. Instantly, she curled up into a ball to cover herself and started crying. I wrapped the blanket around her and wrapped my arms around her holding her close as she cried into my chest while I stroked her back comfortingly. I felt so terrible. I let this happen.

"I'm sorry Misty. I'm so sorry..." I apologized and held her tighter. "I should have protected you better... and I'm so sorry for being so stupid..." I apologized again. Misty didn't say anything; she merely cried into my chest until she calmed down as I was stroking her back and hair. When she was calm and relaxed, a while later, I picked her up in the blanket and carried her back to our room. Misty continued to hold onto me tightly and silently. I was so relieved I got there in time just before he had raped her.

"I'm sorry Misty…" I apologized again sadly as I carried her.

"Seto? Misty? What's going on?" Mokuba asked as he saw us come in.

"Marik almost raped Misty…" I explained.

"Just like the premonition…" Misty added with a bit of a sniffle. I instinctively squeezed her tighter and put her on the bed but never let go. She really needed me.

"Oh Misty!" Mokuba exclaimed and joined in on the embrace. We held her silently for a few minutes and she calmed down.

"Misty I swear we will punish Marik severely for this," I promised. She merely nodded against me and Mokuba consenting and agreeing. I had to do whatever I could to make sure that son-of-a-bitch paid out the ass for what he did to Misty and the tournament. "We will make him pay for this, big time," Mokuba chimed in. Misty nodded once again. I let her have a few minutes of silence knowing she didn't want to talk before I dared to say anything.

"Let's get to bed," I suggested. Bed sounded good to help us all relax for sure.

"Good idea big bro," Mokuba agreed.

"Yes, let's get some rest," Misty agreed and we went to bed. I waited for her and Mokuba to fall asleep, and when they had, I went to crack the code on the Winged Dragon of Ra. I could sneak back into bed later. I just wanted to get some decoding done before we landed tomorrow and we started the semi-finals. "Seto… come to bed… can't it wait?" Misty asked sleepily with a slight pout.

"I'm so close to solving this," I responded without taking my eyes off the screen. I felt so close to getting everything translated. I just needed a few minutes to finish.

"_Few minutes your ass!" my inner self growled at me. _

"Seto, you need rest too," Mokuba pleaded sleepily.

"I'm fine," I answered in a monotone voice as my attention remained on the screen. I did feel fine. I heard Misty sigh. Sorry, but I had to finish this.

"_Idiot!" My inner self screamed at me angrily. _

"If I DO recall, it was YOUR idea for us to go to sleep and rest, especially after I was traumatized by being nearly raped by a psychopath… yeah… I know where your priorities lie…" Misty snapped sarcastically. "Have fun researching your stupid Winged Dragon of Ra… good night…" Misty retorted and turned over in the bed facing away from me, but then she got up holding the blanket and ran to our bathroom and started throwing up. Mokuba and I were instantly at her side as she threw up into the toilet while rubbing her back soothingly.

"Oh Misty… was it the near rape?" Mokuba asked gently, hoping to pinpoint why she was sick. My poor sweetheart.

"P-prob…" Misty began and hurled again. I was doing my best to not get sick as I watched her get sick. "…probably…" Misty answered and was breathing heavily and shuddering. I cleaned her up and brought her some fresh clothes for her to change into so she wasn't naked, and Mokuba and I waited outside the bathroom while she dressed. When she finished, she opened the door and I picked her up and carried her to the bed again.

"You…st-staying? Or…going…back to work?" Misty asked. I felt so guilty when she asked that.

"You're right… I'll stay here with you," I agreed. I bet she hated the taste of vomit in her mouth, and honestly I didn't want to smell it, so I gave her something to cleanse her mouth to help and tossed it away for her and then held her. "I'm sorry," I apologized. I was concerned she was so quiet and I could feel she was still irritated. "You're still mad?"

"A little irritated, yes," Misty admitted. I sighed. Great…

"I hope you can accept my apology…" I told her.

"_You left her side after she was traumatized to work and you expect her to accept your apology just like that?" my inner self retorted sarcastically. _

"I will, eventually, but right now, the fact you'd rather work instead of being right here when I needed you kind of stings…" Misty snapped. _My inner self waved his hand like "See? Told you so."_ I sighed. "Don't sigh like that…" Misty added irritably and pulled away. I knew she wasn't going to be satisfied, so I got up and turned my computer onto sleep mode.

"Good Seto," Mokuba told me almost patronizingly. I gave him a dirty look for saying that and then held her, but she pulled away again. What the hell?! She wanted me to be here holding her and she was pulling away?! What was the deal?!

"Okay, why do you say you want me here but keep pulling away when I try to hold you?" I demanded irritably.

"Well I might be more responsive if you didn't seem like you felt obligated," Misty shot back.

"It's not a sense of obligation! I want to hold you!" I snapped. I did really want to hold her and help her feel better.

"Then mean it…" Misty retorted and settled into bed, covering her face, away from us.

"You really need to make it up to her," Mokuba told me and settled in next to her. I wrapped my arms around her tight, really meaning how sorry I was.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in her ear. I guess she was already asleep, but I hope it registered.

The next morning I was still holding her tightly while we lay next to each other. Whenever she moved, I wrapped my arms tighter not wanting to part from her. I felt her wriggle out of my grasp and heard she hurled again. What was going on?!

"Misty?" Mokuba and I sleepily asked as we woke up and heard her retching and came to her side again. Misty started crying in between throwing up.

"What's wrong?" I asked her as I rubbed her back and held her hair so it wouldn't get messy.

"I don't know! But I hate feeling like this!" Misty bawled and continued to throw up for a few minutes. Damn… this was terrible.

"Oh Misty…" we said and hugged her. She tried to push us away. I cleaned her up again and gave her some more mouthwash, and I felt terrible.

"Get out please!" Misty said and pushed us out and closed the door. We waited for her to come back out.

"_There was something different about her…" my inner self pointed out. _

"_Really?" I asked. I hadn't noticed anything; I was too worried about her being sick._

"_I think that…glow she has correlates to her being sick…" my inner self pointed out and he had a realization. _

"_What?" I demanded. There was a long pause. "Tell me!" _

"…_I can't…" my inner self replied._

"_Why not?! Tell me!" I commanded. _

"_I'm not allowed…" my inner self answered. _

"_BY WHOM?! YOU ANSWER TO ME! TELL ME!"_

"_Well, I think GOD is telling me not to say anything…" he explained._

"_Seriously?!" I demanded._

"_Yes," he said flatly and with a tone that said I should drop it now. I mentally growled at him but he ignored me and Misty came out and Mokuba and I hugged her._

"Do you want to go to the doctor?" I asked as I caressed her face. I wanted to know what was going on with her that my inner self wouldn't tell me.

"Maybe later," Misty agreed.

"I hope it's nothing serious," Mokuba said worriedly.

"I hope not too," she agreed.

"You know, something seems different about you," I pointed out as I stepped back slightly and noticed the glow my inner self picked up on.

"Yeah, I think I saw it in the mirror, but I don't know what it is," Misty agreed.

"Well, we're sure the doctor can figure it out later," Mokuba piped up. We nodded and then we got changed and left the room.

"_You're smart, you can figure it out. Just look at all the facts and what she's been doing. She's throwing up, she has a glow, she's extremely emotional, she's protecting her belly fiercely, and you two have been going at it like rabbits…" my inner self counted the clues. I was still pretty clueless to what he was talking about_. "Idiot…" he snapped at me and got irritably quiet. I wrapped my arm around her waist and she had her head on my shoulder and we went to the foyer where I got the microphone and commanded everyone meet in the foyer. A few minutes later, everyone came in.

"What's goin' on here? Why are we meetin'?" Wheeler asked.

"I don't know, but I guess it's really important," Yugi replied as they all assembled. I was grim and agitated, and they were making it worse. "Kaiba? What's going on?" In response, I glared viciously at the battered and bandaged Marik. I was still so very angry with him that he would DARE do that to my Misty.

"Marik Ishtar has been disqualified from this tournament," I answered as calmly as I could manage as I held her.

"WHAT?!" Everyone asked in shock. "WHY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Marik assaulted and almost raped Misty after Seto's duel!" Mokuba replied getting fired up too.

"And before he did manage to successfully rape her, I ripped him off of her and beat him to a pulp!" I added a bit forcefully, barely able to contain my rage.

"WHAT?!" Everyone asked and looked at Marik with their mouths agape in horror.

"It's true," Misty confirmed with a boom glaring at him.

"And as punishment, he will sit in a solitary cell until we land and then he will be turned over to the police and obviously is disqualified from the tournament," I declared. The others gasped and then Ishizu stepped forward. What the fuck did she want now? I didn't need her bullshit right now while I was trying to deal justice and avenge my sweetheart.

"That's not wise, Mr. Kaiba," Ishizu told me with her calm demeanor.

"Excuse me?" I retorted irritably. I still didn't get where she got off telling me what to do.

"He needs to have his shadow self exorcised from his body with this duel. Have you forgotten that it was my idea for this tournament to draw him here? His competing in this duel is crucial to the sake of the world and his soul." Was she fucking serious?! I was stunned when Misty let go of me and charged her yelling and tackled her and then started punching her. Oh my God… she just made my morning!

"HE FUCKING TRIED TO RAPE ME LAST NIGHT AND YOU WANT HIM TO STILL BE IN THE TOURNAMENT?!" Misty snarled viciously, her voice turning scary- demonic as she continued to beat her and then she finally stopped. Whoa… The others stared at me with mouths agape. Misty got up panting angrily and tiredly. Ishizu got to her feet wobbly, bruised, had some bloody cuts, and a black eye. I'm surprised Misty didn't kill her, but I'm glad she showed some restraint.

"I understand your anger, Misty, but would you like it if he was sent to prison with this shadow part of his soul still intact, he would wreak serious havoc, possibly escape and cause chaos within the city and likely the rest of the world, putting innocent people, perhaps even your family, Mr. Kaiba, and Mokuba, into the Shadow Realm?" Ishizu asked. "We can end this evil right here," she added. Misty got in her face with a dangerous and sadistic glare. I could swear I was seeing her turn into a demon.

"If I agree to this, do you solemnly swear on the fate of your life that if we let him participate, this demon will disappear if he loses?" Misty demanded.

"Yes," Ishizu answered immediately, but I knew she was nervous as hell. I could almost hear everyone's knees or teeth rattling with nervousness. Wow. That was amazing that Misty could rattle everyone like that better than I could.

"And if you're wrong, I get to strangle you and him both?" I heard Ishizu gulp at the consequences Misty laid out for her should she be wrong, but then she nodded her head in consent. Oh she did not know what she was bargaining into. Misty extended her hand for a binding handshake. "Promise?" Ishizu reluctantly shook her hand.

"Good, you promised," Misty declared and let go and faced me, who was still speechless at what I just saw. "Seto, my love, could you please remove the disqualification?" Misty asked sweetly.

"Are you serious?!" I asked wide-eyed in shock. She was actually agreeing to this?! Why?!

"It's the lesser of two evils… I'd rather his shadow self be contained and exorcised here without putting everyone in the world in jeopardy," Misty retorted. I could tell she really didn't like it herself, but she was going to have to just deal with it, though I wished she didn't have to.

"So he still gets to compete even dough he tried to rape ya?!" Wheeler asked incredulously. Misty turned to him and gave him a cold glare that would rival mine.

"I'm giving her a chance to prove her declaration, and if she is wrong, I do get to strangle both Marik and her with my bare hands, and if you don't shut, up I'll add you to the list too," Misty snarled, still angry and vicious looking.

"Alright, as per Misty's command and deal with Ishizu… Marik… may still…compete," I declared officially and hesitantly. I really hated it. Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. I didn't care. I saw a chilling shudder go through Misty.

"Misty? Are you okay?" Mokuba asked concerned as he noticed the shudder. Oh no… not again…

"I don't know," Misty replied and she froze in horror and started screaming and tried to protect her stomach again. Oh God! I started shaking her like a rag doll to snap her back and she gasped as she came back to the present and everyone was staring at her freaked out. It had to be the Shadow Realm premonition again… what did we just agree to?!

"What happened?" Yugi asked concerned.

"Yeah, you just blanked and freaked out," Tristan pointed out.

"I'm going to the Shadow Realm soon…" Misty announced grimly.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"How? You aren't even participating? Why would he send you to the Shadow Realm?" Tea asked.

"It doesn't matter, he still will… he wants me to pay for my soul kicking his ass last time before I was returned to my body. He isn't done with me…" Misty replied grimly. Everyone stared silently and Misty glared at Ishizu. "You happy with this?"

"Of course it isn't pleasant what's about to happen, but you did make the right choice," she tried to assure her. Yeah right… Misty was now in danger and we couldn't do shit about it!

"Oh that makes me feel sooo much better," Misty snapped sarcastically.

"Have faith. If all goes according to plan, you won't be in there long," Ishizu tried to assuage her. She's still going! She's going to be tortured!

"Oh goody, I won't be tortured brutally for very long," Misty shot back, scoffed and walked away.

"You better be right!" I snarled at her before Mokuba and I went to catch up to her. Mokuba and I wrapped our arms around her tight trying to make her feel better. I hoped it helped. We went back to our room and rested a bit. Mokuba and I were doing our best to keep Misty comforted and calm.

A few hours later…

Misty got up to get a snack while Mokuba and I were working, and a couple minutes later I heard her screaming loudly in agony and my blood chilled.

"MISTY!" I exclaimed as Mokuba and I shot up from our seats and then ran down the hallways looking for her, and then everyone else joined us as we saw Misty writhing in pain on the floor trying to protect her belly.

"Misty?" I asked as I knelt down to her level. We saw her eyes were blank and zombie like, just like how she was when she was on the cliff, but then she closed her eyes and was still writhing and huddling to protect her belly. I summoned the blimp doctor to bring a stretcher and then picked her up and put her on it when it came. We rushed her to the infirmary to a private section, away from the other losers.

"Misty, we're right here. We're going to get you out of there. I promise," I whispered in her ear, hoping she'd hear it. She calmed a little. Good! That was a good sign! I caressed her face with a sad expression on my face and kissed her lightly.

"Hang tight Misty," Mokuba told her and squeezed her hand. I squeezed her other hand and she squeezed tightly back, her knuckles turning white. Her grip hurt, but I didn't care. I was going to stay as close as I could, as long as I could except for when I was dueling. I was determined to beat Yugi and Marik to save her.


End file.
